Personal genomics
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Personal genomics is a branch of genomics where individual genomes are genotyped and analyzed using bioinformatics tools. It is also related to traditional population genetics. The genotyping stage can have many different experimental approaches including single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips (typically 0.02% of the genome), or partial or full genome sequencing. Once the genotypes are known, there are many bioinformatics analysis tools that can compare individual genomes and find disease association of the genes and loci. The most important aspect of personal genomics is that it may eventually lead to personalized medicine, where patients can take genotype specific drugs for medical treatments.
Personal genomics is not a single individual's vision or invention. Many researchers for decades anticipated this biological branch will eventually arrive with minimum cost of genotyping. Due to the advent of cheap and fast sequencers, full genome personal genomics is becoming a reality. However, there have been active early proponents of personal genomics projects such as George Church in Harvard Medical School.
Genomics used to mean academic research on consensus genomes which have been assembled from many different individuals of a particular species. The personal genomics changes this into customized bioinformatic discovery on individuals.
See also
- Human genome map
- Single-nucleotide polymorphism
- Population genomics
- Full Genome Sequencing
- Bioinformatics
- Genomics
- Systems biology
- Transcriptomics
- Omics
- Population groups in biomedicine
- Genomic counseling
