Editor's note

In the first print issue of GenomeBiology (see http://genomebiology.com/2000/1/1/comment/001), we declared an intention for the journal and website to evolve, and this issue sees the first major additions, in the form of two new article types. Both are designed to help the non-specialist navigate the information that is emerging from genome-sequencing and functional genomics projects. In the first GenomeBiology Tutorial (http://genomebiology.com/2000/1/4/reviews/2001), Colin Semple provides a 'beginner's guide' that reviews the bewildering diversity of resources available for accessing draft human genome data. Aiming to address the questions non-bioinformaticists most often want answered, he includes guided examples with the article. Todd Richmond's 'Protein family review' (http://genomebiology.com/2000/1/4/reviews/3001) is the first in a series of structured articles that aim to provide detailed information about an individual family (or subfamily) of structurally and functionally related proteins; each will include information about the characteristic features of family members, from protein structure, function and localization in the cell to gene organization and evolution. Both Semple's and Richmond's articles mark the launch of series that will continue alongside other types of review, report, primary research and comment articles. Increasingly, the printed journal carries only a subset of the articles that are available online, and many printed articles represent only a portion of the full article that is online (for example, the Meeting report by Trudy Mackay - see http://genomebiology.com/2000/1/4/reports/4018).

As well as the additional content available at GenomeBiology.com, there have been a number of changes in website functionality. By the end of the year, each registered user of the site can expect not only to have the site's content delivered to them according to their personal preferences but also to specify whether and how often they wish to receive e-mailed updates about subject matter, article types and search results of specific interest. We hope you find these changes and additions to the GenomeBiology service useful and informative; we continue to depend on your input and feedback to guide future developments.