Center for Data Sciences

Sanju Sinha (right) with computational biologist Lihe Liu, PhD, a postdoc member of Sinha’s new lab

The Wealth of Information

Knowledge begets action. A new drug, for example, begins with creating the knowledge needed to create it. Knowledge is born of facts, information, ideas and original understandings. In science, knowledge is data.

The modern scientific enterprise has grown beyond the icons of the past: microscopes, centrifuges and the assorted flasks, cylinders, burners and pipettes. They remain bedrocks of biology, but there is more, a lot more.

This is the age of data science, of rising oceans of new information derived from rapidly advancing tools like computational biology, machine learning, artificial intelligence and the vast, diverse fields of omics, which parse the particulars of biology to reveal greater truths and knowledge.

At Sanford Burnham Prebys, the Center for Data Sciences supports the entire biomedical research enterprise. It is home to computational biologists, geneticists, statisticians, mathematicians, artificial intelligence engineers and others who possess new age expertise in creating, deciphering and translating vast repositories of novel information into knowledge and, ultimately, into action.

Director’s Statement

“No aspect of biomedical research will more dramatically and profoundly change the enterprise than advances in data science, from artificial intelligence and computational biology to the exponential growth of actionable information that provides new insights and ideas across the spectrum of science.”

Yuk-Lap (Kevin) Yip, PhD Interim Center Director

Interim Center Director

Yuk-Lap (Kevin) Yip, PhD

Members

An Omics Glossary

MERFISH spatial-transcriptomics technique Beginning with the process of mapping and sequencing the human genome, new technologies have made it possible to study and measure cells and tissues at molecular levels. The result has been the ability to parse in quantity and quality the underlying biology of life at resolutions previously impossible.

Over the years, as technologies have advanced, omics fields have deepened, expanded and diversified. Genomics, for example, has been joined by functional genomics, structural genomics and metagenomics.

Omics Disciplines

Other molecules, processes and phenomena have established their own omics disciplines. Principal among them:

Epigenomics
The study of all reversible chemical modifications to DNA or to the histones that bind DNA that produce changes in the expression of genes without altering their base sequence

Genomics
The study of the structure, function, evolution and mapping of genomes, characterizing and quantifying the genes that direct production of proteins with the assistance of enzymes and messenger molecules

Glycomics
The study of glycans, which are sugars that cover every cell in the body and are essential to health and well-being. Glycans serve many key functions, including maintenance of tissue structure, porosity and integrity. They may also be binding sites for other molecules.

Lipidomics
The study of lipids or fat-like molecules found in cells, tissues and organisms. Lipids perform a variety of functions. They are part of cell membranes and help control what goes in and out. They move and store energy, absorb vitamins and make hormones.

Metabolomics
The study of all of the chemical processes involving metabolites, which are products of metabolism and fundamental to all biological cells, tissues and organisms. More specifically, metabolomics is the study of chemical fingerprints that specific cellular processes establish during their activity.

Proteomics
The study of proteins as related to their biochemical properties and functional roles, and how their quantities, modifications and structures change during growth and in response to stimuli.

Transcriptomics
The study of all of the messenger RNA molecules in one cell, tissue or organism, including the amount and concentration of each RNA molecule in addition to their identities.

Omics Fields

Today, there are hundreds of named or proposed omics fields, all associated with measuring specific biological molecules at minute scales. Sometimes specific disciplines are combined to create new omics fields, such as pharmacogenomics or subsets of larger omics disciplines, such as allergenomics, which is the proteomics of allergens. Other uses include describing broad research topics that use omics technologies, such as foodomics, which is a comprehensive, high-throughput approach to food and nutrition science that employs a variety of omics disciplines and sub-disciplines.

Exomics
Study of exons as a whole. An exon is a region of the genome that ends up within an mRNA molecule. Some exons are coding and contain information for making a protein; others are non-coding. Genes in the genome consist of exons and introns, a segment of a DNA or RNA molecule which does not code for proteins and interrupts the sequence of genes.

Phenomics
Study of phenomes, the physical and biochemical traits of organisms.

Pharmacogenomics
Study of how genes affect a person’s response to drugs.

Toxicogenomics
Study of the effects of toxic chemicals on the genome and gene expression.

Nutrigenomics
Study of the interactions between nutrition and genes.

Microbiomics
Study of microbial communities (microbiota) and their collective genomes (microbiome).

Viromics
Study of the viral community and their interactions within a host organism.

Exposomics
Study of the totality of human environmental exposures and their effects on health.

Kinomics
Study of kinases, a type of enzyme (a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body) that adds chemicals called phosphates to other molecules, such as sugars or proteins.

Obesidomics
Study of obesity related proteins.

Immunomics
Study of the immune system on an omic scale.

Interactomics
Study of the relationships and interactions between proteins and other molecules.

Fluxomics
Study of the rates of metabolic reactions in a biological system.

Metabonomics
Study of the chemical processes involving metabolites, a subset of metobolomics

Phosphoproteomics
Study of phosphorylated proteins and their roles in cell signaling and function.

Splicomics
Study of RNA splicing and its variations across different tissues or conditions.

Secretomics
Study of the secretome, the entire set of proteins secreted by a cell, tissue, or organism.

Microbiomics
Study of the microorganisms that collectively comprise a microbiota

Degradomics
Study of the proteolytic enzymes (proteases) and their substrates.

Ubiquitinomics
Study of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like protein modifications on other proteins.

Metallomics
Study of the role of metal ions in biological systems.

Redoxomics
Study of redox states and the roles of reactive oxygen species in cellular processes.

Volatilomics
Study of volatile organic compounds produced by living organisms.

Theranostics
A combination of therapeutics and diagnostics, often studied at an omics level.

Cytomics
Study of the cell and its functions at a molecular level.

Sensomics
Study of sensory perception and the associated molecules and pathways.

Foodomics
Application of omics technologies in food and nutrition research.

Chronomics
Study of biological rhythms and their molecular mechanisms.

Peptidomics
Study of peptides, their structures, functions, and roles in biology.

Ecogenomics
Study of the genetic composition of ecological communities and their interactions with the environment.

Pathogenomics
Study of the genomes of pathogens to understand their biology and interaction with hosts.

Nucleomics
Study of the nuclear components of cells, including chromatin and nuclear bodies.

Single-cell omics
Study of the omics data at the single-cell level to understand cellular heterogeneity.

Biomechanics omics
Study of the mechanical properties of biological molecules and structures.

Symbiomics
Study of symbiotic relationships at the molecular level.

Interactomics
Study of molecular interactions in biological systems, including protein-protein, protein-DNA and protein-RNA interactions.

Paleomics
Study of ancient biological materials through omics technologies.

Methylomics
Study of DNA methylation patterns across the genome.

Toxicoepigenomics
Study of the effects of environmental toxins on epigenetic modifications.

Neurogenomics: Study of the genetic basis of nervous system structure and function.

Immunopeptidomics
Study of peptides presented by the immune system, particularly those bound to MHC molecules.

Phytomics
Study of plant genomes and their interactions with the environment.

Autoimmunomics
Study of the molecular mechanisms underlying autoimmune diseases.

Agrigenomics
Application of genomics in agriculture to improve crop and livestock production.

Thermogenomics
Study of the genetic basis of thermoregulation and heat production in organisms.

Biome omics
Study of the genetic and molecular makeup of whole biomes (large ecological areas).

Metagenomics
Study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples, bypassing the need for isolating and culturing individual species.

Astrobiomics
Study of potential life and biological molecules in space environments.

Kinomics
Study of kinases and their roles in cellular signaling.

Glycoproteomics
Study of glycoproteins, which are proteins with carbohydrate groups attached.

Nutriproteomics
Study of the effects of nutrients on the proteome.

Epitranscriptomics
Study of chemical modifications on RNA molecules and their impact on gene expression and function.

Glycolipidomics
Study of glycolipids, complex molecules consisting of carbohydrates and lipids.

Endocrinomics
Study of the endocrine system and hormone-related omics data.

Psychomics
Study of the molecular basis of psychological and psychiatric conditions.

Interactomics
Comprehensive study of all molecular interactions in a cell.

Distributomics
Study of the distribution patterns of molecules within cells or organisms.

Pangenomics
Study of the complete set of genes within a species, including core and accessory genes.

Adaptomics
Study of adaptive changes in organisms at the molecular level.

Seromics
Study of serum proteins and metabolites.

Neuroproteomics
Study of the proteome of the nervous system.

Phytochemomics
Study of the complex chemical compounds in plants.

Agingomics
Study of the molecular and genetic factors involved in aging.

Radiogenomics
Study of the relationship between genetic variation and response to radiation therapy.

Immunogenomics
Study of the genetic basis of immune system function and diversity.

Biogeomics
Study of the genomic basis of biodiversity and ecosystem function.

Virogenomics
Study of viral genomes and their interactions with host organisms.

Dermomics
Study of the molecular and genetic aspects of skin biology.

Allergomics
Study of the molecular and genetic basis of allergic reactions.

Plantomic
Comprehensive study of plant biology using omics approaches.

Oceanomics
Study of marine organisms and ecosystems using omics technologies.

Parasite genomics
Study of the genomes of parasitic organisms.

Aquaculture omics
Application of omics technologies to improve aquaculture practices.

Pathophysiomics
Study of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease processes.

Quantum omics
Study of quantum mechanical properties of biological molecules and their influence on biological functions.

Thermogenomics
Study of the genetic basis of temperature regulation in organisms.

Chronomics
Study of biological rhythms and their molecular bases.

Syntheomics
Study of synthetic biology approaches using omics data to design and construct new biological parts, devices, and systems.

Holobiont omics
Study of the omics data of a host and its associated microbiota as a single ecological unit.

Ecophysiomics
Study of the interactions between the physiological functions of organisms and their environment at an omics level.

Resistomics
Study of antibiotic resistance genes and their mechanisms.

Aptameromics
Study of aptamers, short DNA or RNA molecules that bind to specific targets, and their applications.

Virulomics
Study of virulence factors and mechanisms of pathogenicity in microbes.

Mycomics
Study of fungal genomes and their biological functions.

Photomics
Study of the interaction between light and biological systems.

Nanomics
Study of nanomaterials and their interactions with biological systems using omics approaches.

Allergenomics
Study of allergens and the molecular basis of allergic responses.

Xenobiomics
Study of the effects of foreign substances (xenobiotics) on biological systems.

Physiomics
Study of the physiological aspects of biological systems at an omics scale.

Psychogenomics
Study of the genetic and molecular basis of psychological traits and disorders.

Methylomics
Study of DNA methylation patterns and their effects on gene expression.

Cardiomics
Study of the molecular and genetic basis of cardiovascular function and diseases.

Degradomics
Study of the proteolytic processes and protein degradation pathways.

Astrobiomics
Study of the potential for life and biological processes in extraterrestrial environments.

Geonomics
Study of the genetic basis of geological and geobiological processes.

Radiomics
Study of the quantifiable features of medical images and their association with clinical outcomes.

Biome omics
Study of the genetic, molecular, and ecological interactions within biomes.

Allosteromics
Study of allosteric sites and their regulatory roles in protein function.

Biothermodynamics
Study of the thermodynamic properties of biological molecules and systems using omics approaches.

Anthropomics
Study of human diversity and evolution using omics data.

Connectomics
Study of neural connections within the brain and nervous system.

Autophagomics
Study of the autophagy process at an omics level.

Photogenomics
Study of the effects of light on gene expression and cellular functions.

Aeroomics
Study of airborne biological particles and their impact on health and environment.

Epitranscriptomics
Study of chemical modifications on RNA molecules and their impact on gene expression and function.

Radiogenomics
Study of the relationship between genomic features and response to radiation therapy.

Nephromics
Study of the kidneys and their functions at a molecular level.

Dermatomics
Study of the skin and its molecular composition and functions.

Xenomics
Study of the effects and interactions of foreign genetic material introduced into an organism.

MicroRNAomics
Study of microRNAs and their roles in regulating gene expression.

Synthetic omics
Study and design of synthetic biological systems using omics data.

Environomics
Study of the interactions between organisms and their environment using omics technologies.

Paleomics
Study of ancient biological materials and their molecular information.

Regulomics
Study of regulatory networks and their roles in gene expression.

Pathobiomics
Study of disease pathways and mechanisms at an omics scale.

Evolvomics
Study of evolutionary processes and patterns using omics data.

Thermobiomics: Study of the effects of temperature on biological molecules and systems.

Circadiomics
Study of circadian rhythms and their molecular underpinnings.

Metaproteomics
Study of the collective protein content in environmental samples.

Biomechanics omics
Study of the mechanical properties of biological molecules and systems.

Cancer omics
Study of the molecular basis of cancer, including oncogenomics and cancer proteomics.

Synthetic biology omics
Application of omics technologies to design and construct new biological parts, devices, and systems.

Gutomics
Study of the gut microbiome and its interactions with the host.

Nutrigenomics
Study of the relationship between nutrition and the genome.

Plant omics
Comprehensive study of plant biology using omics approaches.

Infectomics
Study of the molecular mechanisms of infectious diseases.

Microbiomics
Study of microbial communities and their functions.

Sexomics
Study of the molecular basis of sex differences in biology.

Biomechanomics
Study of the interaction between mechanical forces and biological systems.

Neurogenomics
Study of the genetic basis of neurological functions and disorders.

Omeomics
Study of the relationships and interactions between different omes (genome, proteome, etc.).

Immunotranscriptomics
Study of the transcriptome of immune cells.

Nervomics
Study of the nervous system and its molecular components.

Embryomics
Study of the molecular and genetic processes during embryonic development.

Agingomics
Study of the molecular basis of aging.

Photoproteomics
Study of proteins involved in light sensing and response.

Hematomics
Study of the molecular composition and function of blood.

Biophotonics omics
Study of the interaction of light with biological materials at an omics level.

Anatomics
Study of the molecular basis of anatomical structures.

Mycobiomics
Study of fungal communities and their interactions with the host or environment.

Pathogenomics
Study of the genomes of pathogens.

Symbiomics
Study of symbiotic relationships at the molecular level.

Aquomics
Study of aquatic organisms and their molecular biology.

Bacteriomics
Study of bacteria and their genomes.

Biomarkeromics
Study of biomarkers using omics technologies for disease detection and monitoring.

Cardiomics
Study of the cardiovascular system at a molecular level.

Cellomics
Study of cell structure, function, and behavior using high-throughput methods.

Chemogenomics
Study of the genomic response to chemical compounds.

Cryomics
Study of biological molecules and systems under low-temperature conditions.

Distributomics
Study of the spatial distribution of molecules within cells or tissues.

Ecosystem omics
Study of entire ecosystems using omics approaches.

Energetics omics
Study of the energy flow and metabolism in biological systems.

Gastroomics
Study of the gastrointestinal system and its microbiota.

Genetherapeutics omics
Study of gene therapy approaches and their effects at an omics level.

Hormonomics
Study of hormones and their molecular pathways.

Hydratomics
Study of the hydration state of biological molecules and systems.

Inflamomics
Study of inflammation and its molecular pathways.

Metalloproteomics
Study of metalloproteins and their roles in biology.

Morphomics
Study of the shape and structure of organisms and their molecular basis.

Nervomics
Study of the nervous system and its molecular composition.

Neurochemomics
Study of the chemical processes in the nervous system.

Nutriomics
Study of the interactions between nutrients and the genome.

Ocularomics
Study of the eye and its molecular biology.

Optogenomics
Study of the genetic basis of light perception and response.

Organomics
Study of specific organs at a molecular level and interaction between organs.

Parasitomics
Study of parasites and their interactions with hosts.

Pathophenomics
Study of disease phenotypes and their molecular basis.

Pharmacomics
Study of drugs and their effects on the genome and proteome.

Polyomics
Study of the complex interactions between multiple omes (genome, proteome, etc.).

Psychomics
Study of the molecular basis of psychological traits and disorders.

Pulmonomics
Study of the lungs and respiratory system at a molecular level.

Reproductomics
Study of reproductive systems and their molecular biology.

Respiromics
Study of the respiratory system and its molecular functions.

Selenomics
Study of the role of selenium in biology.

Spatiomics
Study of the spatial distribution of molecules within biological systems.

Sportomics
Study of the molecular basis of sports performance and physical activity.

Stemcellomics
Study of stem cells and their molecular properties.

Stromomics
Study of the stroma, the supportive tissue in organs, and its molecular components.

Subcellomics
Study of the molecular composition of subcellular compartments.

Synaptomics
Study of synapses and their molecular components.

Toxinomics
Study of toxins and their effects on the genome and proteome.

Traumomics
Study of the molecular basis of trauma and injury.

Vascularomics
Study of the vascular system and its molecular biology.

Virosomomics
Study of the structure and function of viral particles.

Zoonomics
Study of zoonotic diseases and their molecular basis.