Functional annotation is the process of assigning biological or functional information to genes, proteins, or other biological molecules. This information can include details about the molecular function, biological process, cellular component, and pathways in which the gene or protein is involved. Functional annotation is important in understanding the role and significance of specific genes or proteins within the context of larger biological systems. This research area often involves the use of bioinformatics tools and databases to predict and annotate the function of genes and proteins based on sequence similarity, protein structure, and other characteristics. Functional annotation plays a vital role in genomics, proteomics, and other areas of molecular biology.