You have carried out a genetic screen in a species of fish, and have identified a new gene in this organism. You have cloned and sequenced the gene, but do not know anything about the biochemical function of the gene product. Which of the following is the most sensible next step in order to get clues about the function?

A) Purifying the protein product and determining its structure by x-ray diffraction
B) Screening for small molecules that perturb gene function
C) Using the BLAST algorithm to scan sequence databases for similar sequences
D) Using MS/MS to sequence the gene product without the need for purification
E) Mutating the gene and performing reverse genetics