By Zabrina J. Bugnosen; February 16, 2022

Mapping out genomes helps scientists understand how the genes of an organism translate into traits. But there is more to it than just comprehending how a single organism functions and adapts to its environment. It holds key information of how the organism interacts with other organisms, adapts to changes in its environment, and how it thrives for long-term survival. But to unleash the full potential of genomics, we need to view it not as a field of study that focuses on a single species but as a field of study that branches out to include other different scientific fields. This is discussed in the paper entitled Darwinian Genomics and Diversity in the Tree of Life published by the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science as part of its special feature on the Earth BioGenome Project.

Genomics is the field of science that studies the genetic make-up of organisms. ISAAA actively reports when a new genome, often of plants, has been sequenced because it is important to know the genetic makeup of an organism, a prerequisite in genome-editing. Knowing their genetic sequences allows scientists to identify which gene is responsible for a certain trait, which ones were lost over time, which ones were retained because it helps the organism thrive, and how different varieties of the same plant are related to each other. But this is only the beginning of studying genomics. Having a genome sequence at a scientist’s fingertips opens doors to numerous research possibilities that can help develop plants with improved traits, produce better medicine, and even map out the survival history of a species to better understand its adaptability and behavior. 

Learn more about Darwinian Genomics by reading the special featured study published in PNAS.

To learn more about genomics, download ISAAA's Pocket K No. 15: 'Omics' Sciences: Genomics, Proteomics, and Metabolomics

See: https://www.isaaa.org/blog/entry/default.asp?BlogDate=2/16/2022