Michael Goldman: Lead Editor  

All Articles Within Genomics (26)

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Comparative Genomics (5)

• Genomes of Other Organisms: DNA Barcoding and Metagenomics
  The Human Genome Project has been finished—why is it important to look at the genomes of other species? Species inventory projects can reveal insights into biodiversity and utility for humans.
• Interpreting Shared Characteristics: The Platypus Genome
  The sequencing of the platypus genome has received a high amount of misleading press attention. What does this information really tell us about this strangely unique animal and its genetic past?
• Pufferfish and Ancestral Genomes
  How are pufferfish helping us understand our own evolution? By mapping synteny in their short genome, scientists can find evolutionary patterns through this example of comparative genomics.
• Simple Viral and Bacterial Genomes
  How do genomes from E. coli and yeast help researchers? They shed light on the basic principles of genomics. The Human Microbiome Project sequences microbial genomes for this purpose.
• Microarray-based Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH)
  Move over karyotypes—genetic disorder detection has vastly improved. Researchers are now using array CGH (aCGH), to quickly scan through an entire genome for imbalances.

Genome Sequencing and Annotation (6)

• Complex Genomes: Shotgun Sequencing
  Scientists now have the ability to sequence complex genomes from multicellular organisms. Does the genome size correlate with the complexity of the organism? The answer is surprising.
• DNA Sequencing Technologies
  The Human Genome project set out to sequence all of the 3 billion nucleotides in the human genome. Exactly how was this daunting task done with such incredible speed and accuracy?
• DNA Sequencing Technologies Key to the Human Genome Project
  Thanks to the Human Genome Project, researchers have sequenced all 3.2 billion base pairs in the human genome. How did researchers complete this chromosome map years ahead of schedule?
• Genomic Data Resources: Challenges and Promises
  Where would you go to find the nucleotide and amino acid data you need? There are thousands of genomic databases, tools, and other resources freely accessible on the Internet.
• Sequencing Human Genome: the Contributions of Francis Collins and Craig Venter
  How did it become possible to sequence the 3 billion base pairs in the human genome? More than a quarter of a century’s worth of work from hundreds of scientists made such projects possible.
• Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST)
  Awash in a sea of data, how do scientists identify the function of a newly cloned gene? Online resources like the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) provide a helping hand.

Functional Genomics (4)

• Ontologies: Scientific Data Sharing Made Easy
  An ontology is a logic-based organizational structure for knowledge. Ontologies speed genetic discovery by allowing researchers to quickly find and compare data from multiple sources.
• Microarray-based Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH)
  Move over karyotypes—genetic disorder detection has vastly improved. Researchers are now using array CGH (aCGH), to quickly scan through an entire genome for imbalances.
• The Proteome: Discovering the Structure and Function of Proteins
  Proteins are continually being synthesized, modified, and degraded, and vary among species, tissue, and even cells—how do you capture and describe this ever-changing proteome?
• Transcriptome: Connecting the Genome to Gene Function
  How can scientists better understand the workings of a cell? Studying the transcriptome, RNA expressed from the genome, reveals a more complex picture of the gene expression behind it all.

Translational Genomics (6)

• Behavioral Genomics
  Are human behaviors controlled by genetics, or are environmental factors major contributors to behavior? Such questions are fundamental to the study of behavioral genomics.
• Comparative Methylation Hybridization
  How do complex adult-onset disorders take place? The methylation of DNA sequences is an important component of epigenetic control that can be inherited or occur over time.
• DNA Fingerprinting Using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLP)
  How would you distinguish organisms based on their genomes? One of the tools scientists use is amplified fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (AFLP-PCR).
• Epigenomics: The New Tool in Studying Complex Diseases
  Identical twins often develop different characteristics, even though they carry the same sequence of DNA nucleotides. How can this be? The answer lies in epigenomics.
• Sustainable Bioenergy: Genomics and Biofuels Development
  What are some ways genomics is helping solve the global energy crisis? Genomics is contributing to the development of renewable energy sources and genetic engineering of enzymes.
• Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine
  Can doctors predict who should take certain medications and who will suffer side effects? With personalized medicine, physicians may be able to use genetic profiles to make treatment choices.