Genomics 101- Barry Schuler An introduction to genomics

Description: What is genomics? How will it affect our lives? In this intriguing primer on the genomics revolution, entrepreneur Barry Schuler says we can at least expect healthier, tastier food. He suggests we start with the pinot noir grape, to build better wines.

Barry Schuler's multimedia firm Medior built key interactive technologies for AOL, helping millions connect to the Internet through a simple, accessible interface. Now, through venture capital (and wine appreciation), he wants to do the same for genomics.

Why you should listen to him:

If in the mid-'90s tech revolution you found yourself intimidated by command lines (or computers in general), chances are you had your first encounter with email through America Online. Above those first-month-free CDs, the main appeal was its easy-as-a-microwave interface, which Barry Schuler and his team at Medior designed. While the other techies were complaining of eternal September, Schuler remained a populist, passionate about spreading accessibility to the next generation of services that he foresaw changing the world. (Earlier, he had developed and marketed color desktop apps for Apple.)

Schuler later served as AOL's CEO when it acquired Time Warner. But now, as high-tech democratization continues, Schuler wants to direct the momentum toward genomics. As managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, he's funding next-thing projects in tech, and he also serves on the board of Synthetic Genomics. A lover of wine (and a proponent of using genetics to enhance wine grapes), he owns Meteor Vineyard in Napa Valley. He's currently CEO of Raydiance, which is developing laser technology for healthcare use.

What is genomics?

Genomics is the study of the genomes of organisms. The field includes intensive efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping efforts. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis, epistasis, pleiotropy and other interactions between loci and alleles within the genome. In contrast, the investigation of the roles and functions of single genes is a primary focus of molecular biology and is a common topic of modern medical and biological research. Research of single genes does not fall into the definition of genomics unless the aim of this genetic, pathway, and functional information analysis is to elucidate its effect on, place in, and response to the entire genome's networks.

For the United States Environmental Protection Agency, "the term "genomics" encompasses a broader scope of scientific inquiry associated technologies than when genomics was initially considered. A genome is the sum total of all an individual organism's genes. Thus, genomics is the study of all the genes of a cell, or tissue, at the DNA (genotype), mRNA (transcriptome), or protein (proteome) levels."