The Prof Zdobnov's Computational Evolutionary Genomics group is working in field of comparative genomics of eukaryotes. Comparative genomics is not only about annotating genomes, which is complex issue with important practical implications, but also about understanding principals of molecular evolution, which allow to approach the fundamental questions of the origin and evolution of biological complexity. Through the multiple analysis of animal genomes, we aim to elucidate and quantify evolutionary processes shaping repertoires of functional genomic elements such as proteins and RNA genes (e.g. microRNAs) and conserved non-genic sequences (CNS), as well as to interrogate and predict their functions using sequence variability patterns among different species and within populations. Giving priority to medical and evolutionary questions, we are focusing on two strategic directions of insect and vertebrate genomics, where we are participating in international collaborative projects to analyze the genomes and collaborating with experimental functional genomics laboratories. The importance of vertebrate genomics for characterization of the human genome and for medical genetics is apparent. Insects are also interesting in many respects: they include medically important category of blood feeders that have evolved independently as vectors of viral and parasitic diseases (e.g. malaria), they are known to have high rates of molecular evolution and afford representatives at various levels of divergence, beyond those that have been observed in vertebrates. Furthermore, the wealth of experimental data accumulating for model organisms drives our understanding of the human biology.