Apicomplexan protozoa caused more human deaths than any other group of infectious agents and are also the most significant parasites of livestock. There was an ongoing urgent need to develop novel, sustainable therapies. The genome sequences of many apicomplexans would soon be known and publicly available. Sequencing was almost complete for one strain of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum, and underway for additional malarial strains and other species. This would make it possible to carry out comparisons between genomes and to begin to link gene information to specific functions. Post-genomic technologies were highly relevant for apicomplexans, which had large genomes and complex life cycles. Interaction between specialists working on different parasites would be essential to maximise the enormous potential of genomic and post-genomic studies.
