Genomics in 2030

How will genomics influence our life?

The advances made in genome research and bioinformatics in recent years have elected a very large amount of data. And more data are generated day by day. The combination of advanced practical tools from the laboratorium and computer tools in combination with the Internet made big changes in the field of the molecular biology. Our possibilities to explore the genome and the functions and interactions of the genes and proteins have already generated a detailed insight in the functioning of our genetic information. But this is just the beginning of a long way of exploring the field of genomics.

The goal for the near future is to extract genetic information from tha generated data. This means that genome maps will be completed of all organisms of interest. After the finishing of the genome maps, research will probably focus more and more on the transcription and translation of the genes, and tries to find the functions of all genes. It will take many years to get some kind of overview in the complex interaction patterns of genes and their transcripts. Maybe it will turn out that it is almost impossible to detect the function of many of our and other organisms genes.

After getting insight in interaction patterns of genes, researchers might focus on the dynamics of genes and proteins. There are already research groups starting with the development of digital cells: these cells are computer representations in which the interaction between proteins, DNA, other cell components and the environment are visualised. These digital cells could also give insight in complex metabolic pathways. Afterall, with the use of a digital cell, the source of many diseases could be detected. Of course, this is a future perspective. It might be possible, but it is not for sure.

The influence of genomics and bioinformatics will not only influence science. It will influence the society in may ways. From crop cultivation and food production to health care and life ensurance. From crime investigation and personal identification to computer chip fabrication and genetic modification law development. I try to give a future perspective of how genomics and bioinformatics might change our lifes in the next twenty to thirty years.

Health care

Genomics and related research can provide an increasing insight in the understanding of the role of genetic factors in human health and human diseases. Complete genetic maps, with genetic variations and expression patterns of every gene will be a research purpose. The understanding of gene variation and metabolic pathways might result in several opportunities for the prediction of illness and the prediction of drug response. By making a genetic profile of a patient this might be possible for individuals in the future. Having a genetic profile means that the treatment can already start before the symptoms of illness are visual, or even to prevent getting ill. It also might be possible to adapt the treatment to the profile of the patient. Both opportunities can become reality if more will be known about genes, pathways, the influence of the environment and the relation to diseases. But other important relations can become more clear: the relation between a persons genetic code and his behaviour. Will in the future the name no longer be the first thing a child recieves when he is born, but will it be a CD with his own genetic code? And will it be possible to predict his some aspects of a persons life with the use of these data?

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Agriculture and food

When Mendel started with his experiments on the garden pea he could not imagine to where his research would lead. And we can not tell it yet either. But one thing is for shure: feeding the growing world population will be one of the biggest world problems of the next fifty years. In 2020 the world population is expected to be 8 billion. Food availability has a strong relationship with agriculture. The many genomics research on model and crop plants will probably give us many new insights in the heredity of plants. Biotechnological techniques might lead to an increase in crop production per acre. It can also be a way of introducing food supplements to the food of people. This has already been done with golden rice, where a combination of transgenes enables the rice plant to make a precursor for vitamin A. Even though there have already been made several transgenic plants, the technologies for transformation need to be improved to give better results. The efficiency of and control over the transformation process need to be improved.

In some parts of the world, especially in Western Europe, genetic modified crops are not accepted as agricultral and food products. Under pressure of several non-governmental organisations products are removed from the brands of the supermarket. There is also increasing pressure in North America and other crop producing countries all over the world. These movements slows down the research on transgenic plant transformation in several countries, including the Netherlands. One of the main scientific arguments is that the possibility of cross-hybridisation of transgenes to not modified species can result in unwelcome side effects. But with the use of genetic modified crops also several political issues will arise. When should the use genetic modified crops be accepted and when not? Where is the balance between the possible risks and opportunities of genetic modified crops? Should governments try to keep control over the use of these crops or should the government let the companies who use the techniques decide?

I expect that genetic modification will be a technique that can influence food quality and availability all over the world. But we should be sure about the speed, the safety and the social consequences of introducing it. Researchers should realise that the introduction of genetic modified crops has much more consequences than only harvest improvement. They should get rid of the idea that only scientific arguments are good to decide whether genetic modification should be used or not. Social, political and etical consequences should be taken as serious as, or even more serious than scientific arguments.

All these political, social and ethical issues arise besides the human and plant genomic and bioinformatic research done by thousands of scientists all over the world. Don't let anybody tell you that genomics and bioinformatics are unimportant or dull studies!

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