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.”
By better understanding how cell nuclei give rise to tumors and other malignancies, we learn how to prevent, block and repair genetic growth modifications that lead to cancer.
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.
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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.
Jul 30, 2024