A History of Genomics across Species, Communities and Projects

A History of Genomics across Species, Communities and Projects
Author: Miguel García-Sancho
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 387
Release: 2023-03-31
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3031061306

This open access book offers a comprehensive overview of the history of genomics across three different species and four decades, from the 1980s to the recent past. It takes an inclusive approach in order to capture not only the international initiatives to map and sequence the genomes of various organisms, but also the work of smaller-scale institutions engaged in the mapping and sequencing of yeast, human and pig DNA. In doing so, the authors expand the historiographical lens of genomics from a focus on large-scale projects to other forms of organisation. They show how practices such as genome mapping, sequence assembly and annotation are as essential as DNA sequencing in the history of genomics, and argue that existing depictions of genomics are too closely associated with the Human Genome Project. Exploring the use of genomic tools by biochemists, cell biologists, and medical and agriculturally-oriented geneticists, this book portrays the history of genomics as inseparably entangled with the day-to-day practices and objectives of these communities. The authors also uncover often forgotten actors such as the European Commission, a crucial funder and forger of collaborative networks undertaking genomic projects. In examining historical trajectories across species, communities and projects, the book provides new insights on genomics, its dramatic expansion during the late twentieth-century and its developments in the twenty-first century. Offering the first extensive critical examination of the nature and historicity of reference genomes, this book demonstrates how their affordances and limitations are shaped by the involvement or absence of particular communities in their production.

Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome

Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 128
Release: 1988-01-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309038405

There is growing enthusiasm in the scientific community about the prospect of mapping and sequencing the human genome, a monumental project that will have far-reaching consequences for medicine, biology, technology, and other fields. But how will such an effort be organized and funded? How will we develop the new technologies that are needed? What new legal, social, and ethical questions will be raised? Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome is a blueprint for this proposed project. The authors offer a highly readable explanation of the technical aspects of genetic mapping and sequencing, and they recommend specific interim and long-range research goals, organizational strategies, and funding levels. They also outline some of the legal and social questions that might arise and urge their early consideration by policymakers.

The Journey of Man

The Journey of Man
Author: Spencer Wells
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2017-03-28
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 0691176019

Around 60,000 years ago, a man, genetically identical to us, lived in Africa. Every person alive today is descended from him. How did this real-life Adam wind up as the father of us all? What happened to the descendants of other men who lived at the same time? And why, if modern humans share a single prehistoric ancestor, do we come in so many sizes, shapes, and races? Examining the hidden secrets of human evolution in our genetic code, the author reveals how developments in the revolutionary science of population genetics have made it possible to create a family tree for the whole of humanity. Replete with marvelous anecdotes and remarkable information, from the truth about the real Adam and Eve to the way differing racial types emerged, this book is an enthralling, epic tour through the history and development of early humankind.

Avian Genomics in Ecology and Evolution

Avian Genomics in Ecology and Evolution
Author: Robert H. S. Kraus
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2019-06-29
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030164772

Birds catch the public imagination like no other group of animals; in addition, birders are perhaps the largest non-professional naturalist community. Genomics and associated bioinformatics have revolutionised daily life in just a few decades. At the same time, this development has facilitated the application of genomics technology to ecological and evolutionary studies, including biodiversity and conservation at all levels. This book reveals how the exciting toolbox of genomics offers new opportunities in all areas of avian biology. It presents contributions from prominent experts at the intersection of avian biology and genomics, and offers an ideal introduction to the world of genomics for students, biologists and bird enthusiasts alike. The book begins with a historical perspective on how genomic technology was adopted by bird ecology and evolution research groups. This led, as the book explains, to a revised understanding of avian evolution, with exciting consequences for biodiversity research as a whole. Lastly, these impacts are illustrated using seminal examples and the latest discoveries from avian biology laboratories around the world.

Curiosity Guides: The Human Genome

Curiosity Guides: The Human Genome
Author: John Quackenbush
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Total Pages: 189
Release: 2011-02-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1607343568

The DNA sequence that comprises the human genome--the genetic blueprint found in each of our cells--is undoubtedly the greatest code ever to be broken. Completed at the dawn of a new millennium, the feat electrified both the scientific community and the general public with its tantalizing promise of new and better treatments for countless diseases, including Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson's. Yet what is arguably the most important discovery of our time has also opened a Pandora's box of questions about who we are as humans and how the unique information stored in our genomes can and might be used, making it all the more important for everyone to understand the new science of genomics. In the CURIOSITY GUIDE TO THE HUMAN GENOME, Dr. John Quackenbush, a renowned scientist and professor, conducts a fascinating tour of the history and science behind the Human Genome Project and the technologies that are revolutionizing the practice of medicine today. With a clear and engaging narrative style, he demystifies the fundamental principles of genetics and molecular biology, including the astounding ways in which genes function, alone or together with other genes and the environment, to either sustain life or trigger disease. In addition, Dr. Quackenbush goes beyond medicine to examine how DNA-sequencing technology is changing how we think of ourselves as a species by providing new insights about our earliest ancestors and reconfirming our inextricable link to all life on earth. Finally, he explores the legal and ethical questions surrounding such controversial topics as stem cell research, prenatal testing, forensics, and cloning, making this volume of the Curiosity Guides series an indispensable resource for navigating our brave new genomic world.

The Human Genome Project

The Human Genome Project
Author: Janey Levy
Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing LLLP
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2018-12-15
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 153823095X

The Human Genome Project was a groundbreaking, life-altering development of the late 20th century and a major evolution in science and medicine. Readers of this remarkable volume will follow the scientists of the international, collaborative research program as they map the human genome. They'll learn about the science behind the project as well as the scientific and medical possibilities opened by it. Vivid photographs support the fascinating text, and sidebars, fact boxes, and captions enrich your reader's experience.

The Human Genome Project and Minority Communities

The Human Genome Project and Minority Communities
Author: Raymond A. Zilinskas
Publisher: Praeger
Total Pages: 168
Release: 2001
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN:

Zilinskas and Balint and their contributors examine the divisions between minority groups and the scientific community, particularly in the area of medical and genetic research. Minorities have reasons to be skeptical of medical research in general and genetics research in particular. The sad history of the Tuskegee experiment, in which black men with syphilis were left untreated so that the course of the disease could be studied, undermined confidence in the ethics of medical researchers. More recently, publication of The Bell Curve reanimated controversy over purported genetic distinctions among the races that could have powerfully negative social implications. In contrast, as the essays make clear, the Human Genome Project, conducted in accordance with the highest ethical standards, has the potential to make dramatic positive contributions to the health of all human beings. Members of minority communities in particular—who statistically are at high risk of adverse health outcomes in the United States—have much to gain from innovative medical diagnostics and therapies that will result from the study of human genetics. Therefore, if we are to benefit fully from this new knowledge, it is vital that the distrust, skepticism, and misconceptions relating to genetics research be overcome. This is a provocative collection for scholars, students, researchers, and community leaders involved with minority and public health issues.

Ancestors in Our Genome

Ancestors in Our Genome
Author: Eugene E. Harris (Professor)
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2015
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0199978034

Geneticist Eugene Harris presents us with the complete and up-to-date account of the evolution of the human genome.

Genomics in Aquaculture

Genomics in Aquaculture
Author: Simon A MacKenzie
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2016-07-29
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0128016906

Genomics in Aquaculture is a concise, must-have reference that describes current advances within the field of genomics and their applications to aquaculture. Written in an accessible manner for anyone—non-specialists to experts alike—this book provides in-depth coverage of genomics spanning from genome sequencing, to transcriptomics and proteomics. It provides, for ease of learning, examples from key species most relevant to current intensive aquaculture practice. Its coverage of minority species that have a specific biological interest (e.g., Pleuronectiformes) makes this book useful for countries that are developing such species. It is a robust, practical resource that covers foundational, functional, and applied aspects of genomics in aquaculture, presenting the most current information in a field of research that is rapidly growing. Provides the latest scientific methods and technologies to maximize efficiencies for healthy fish production, with summary tables for quick reference Offers an extended glossary of technical and methodological terms to help readers better understand key biological concepts Describes state-of-the-art technologies, such as transcriptomics and epigenomics, currently under development for future perspective of the field Covers minority species that have a specific biological interest (e.g., Pleuronectiformes), making the book useful to countries developing such species

The Barley Genome

The Barley Genome
Author: Nils Stein
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2018-08-18
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319925288

This book presents an overview of the state-of-the-art in barley genome analysis, covering all aspects of sequencing the genome and translating this important information into new knowledge in basic and applied crop plant biology and new tools for research and crop improvement. Unlimited access to a high-quality reference sequence is removing one of the major constraints in basic and applied research. This book summarizes the advanced knowledge of the composition of the barley genome, its genes and the much larger non-coding part of the genome, and how this information facilitates studying the specific characteristics of barley. One of the oldest domesticated crops, barley is the small grain cereal species that is best adapted to the highest altitudes and latitudes, and it exhibits the greatest tolerance to most abiotic stresses. With comprehensive access to the genome sequence, barley’s importance as a genetic model in comparative studies on crop species like wheat, rye, oats and even rice is likely to increase.