Genomics 101

Genomics at Work

Health

Genomics has a role in finding the cause of 9 of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States (for example, heart disease, cancer, diabetes). These diseases aren’t caused by a single gene, but by several genes reacting to each other and to the environment and the lifestyle of the person.

Genomics comes into play by helping us understand the small differences between us. Every human being’s genetic material is 99.9% the same. The remaining 0.1% is what contributes to the differences between us in terms of height, weight, skin colour and disease susceptibility. The more we know about the information in this 0.1% of our genetic data – and how it interacts with our environment – the closer we’ll be to truly understanding what causes various diseases and determining how best to manage them.

Environment 

There are many environmental challenges that genomics researchers are trying to solve. For instance, some environmental cleanup may be enhanced with naturally occurring microbes instead of chemicals. Our oceans help absorb CO2, believed to be a major component of global warming, from the atmosphere.  Genomics is helping us understand these processes and environmental ‘functions’.at a much deeper level, in an attempt to unlock the mysteries of naturally occurring phenomena and harness it for the betterment of the planet.

More resources:

http://www.genomecanada.ca/en/info/environment/

http://www.genomecanada.ca/en/info/environment/fungal.aspx

http://www.functionalgenomics.org.uk/sections/programme/environmental.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17551524

Forestry

Canadian forests are an integral part of our national identity, economy and ecosystem. Genomics researchers are actively engaged in understanding the genetic ‘blue print’ of trees and the organisms they interact with to ensure their longevity and sustainability. For instance, forestry producers are interested in growing trees that are more resistant to disease and pests, and trees that produce the best wood quality. Through genomics, we are looking for the genes related to these traits, so that we can help producers develop breeding programs to grow only the best trees, which helps maximize the time, money and natural resources dedicated to growing them.

Another example is the Mountain Pine Beetle project, which is hoping to find a solution to this Western Canada forest epidemic. Researchers are looking at the genomics of the beetle, the fungus that assists in the damage caused by the beetle and the tree itself. Hopefully, researchers will find clues to impede the interaction of these three organisms to halt the deadly spread before it does more damage to our national forests.

More resources:

http://www.genomecanada.ca/en/info/forestry/story.aspx

Agriculture and Aquaculture

Genomics helps us understand the inner workings of living things at a genetic level. In agriculture, both plants and animals can be topics of genomics research. Researchers in these fields are generally looking for breeding solutions, or hunting for the genes associated with particular traits such as disease resistance or stress tolerance. When the genes (or genetic markers) are found, breeding programs can be developed to ensure that only the plants or animals that contain the desired genes are paired to create elite offspring.

This type of selective breeding is being conducted on livestock, crops and fish. In each case, the goal is to help producers reduce the overall financial and natural resource commitments required to develop healthy and sustainable products.

More resources:

http://www.genomecanada.ca/en/info/agriculture/grape.aspx

Energy  

Many organisms are virtual energy-producing machines. Genomics researchers seek to understand these natural processes, and harness them to create more sustainable, environmentally-friendly energy solutions.

Genomics researchers are looking at a variety of energy-related challenges, including converting biomass to biofuels, engineering fuel-producing organisms such as microalgae and even looking at more earth-friendly ways of extracting and producing traditional fuel sources.

More resources:

http://genomicscience.energy.gov/index.shtml