Transgene

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The first set of articles on new web resource 'Genomics in Context' have now been published: www.genomicsincontext.com

This new website features articles from scholars of genomics Stephan Guettinger (London School of Economics), Miguel García-Sancho, Catherine Heeney and James Lowe (all University of Edinburgh). Additionally, there is a blog containing shorter contributions.

Guettinger's article, 'Beyond the genome: the transformative power of functional genomics', concerns the formulation of the term 'functional genomics' and its instantiation in the ENCODE project that followed the completion of the Human Genome Project. He details and analyses perspectives on ENCODE that either depict it as "a somewhat limited attempt at going beyond structural genomics" or as something more transformative, of both genomics and the way we conceptualise genes.

García-Sancho's contribution, 'DNA sequencing: from manual biochemistry to industrial genomics', describes the origins of DNA sequencing, and the manual techniques through which it was conducted. He analyses and accounts for the advent of automated sequencing methods, situating it in the wider history of the interaction of biology and computers.

Heeney discusses the origin, development and spread of Genome Wide Association Studies in the context of genetic research into common complex diseases in her piece, 'Genome Wide Association Studies and Common Complex Disease'. She details the methodological challenges faced by such research, and the technical and statistical means by which researchers attempted to deal with them.

Finally, Lowe provides some introductory surveys of genomics and DNA sequencing, describing and analysing the origins and meanings of the terms 'genome' and 'genomics' in 'What is a genome, and what is genomics?', and detailing the practices involved in the whole process of DNA sequencing in 'What is DNA sequencing?'.

More articles are in the pipeline, and we are happy to discuss any ideas that anyone has. This can be for an article on the main site, or a blog post. Already, several students have been able to publish their work on the blog, with appropriate editorial guidance. Most of the articles are peer reviewed. If so, they are indicated as such at the end of the article. We operate an open and efficient peer review system through collective review meetings, that the author can attend if they are able.

This initiative arises out of the work of the TRANSGENE project, and has been developed by James Lowe on the basis of an original suggestion by TRANSGENE advisory board member Michel Morange. This was aided by Lowe's receipt of a Beltane Public Engagement Fellowship in 2018, through which he started building the website, recruiting authors and reviewers and discussing the content and structure of the website with various prospective users. Some of the suggestions they made are still in preparation. The website remains in development, with many more articles and other kinds of resources planned or in preparation, and ways of engaging with and navigating the website to be explored.

We are open to any comments or suggestions you may have regarding any of this.