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Fri 12 Mar, 2010 09:06 pm
What does "personal" mean in " most personal genomics "?
Individual? And so what does "genomics" mean here? In the title of the article, the word "genomics" mean something a bit different?
Context:
Complete genomics finds its first diseases
Ewen Callaway, reporter
Whole-genome sequencing is touted as the tech that will finally unmask our genetic "dark matter" - as-yet unknown disease-drivers that are missed by current gene scans. It hasn't done that yet, but for the first time two separate groups of researchers have used it to uncover mutations underlying rare diseases. The breakthrough shows both the promise and challenges facing the field of personal genomics.
Right now, most personal genomics is based on gene scans that identify single-letter mutations in the genetic code known as SNPs, which can indicate that someone is at higher risk of various disorders. But complete genome sequences might tell us a lot more. This week's breakthroughs give us a taste of what that might be like.
I suspect that this is a case of journalism making a hash of explaining science. As i read it, personal genomics refers to scans of genetic material from individuals (usually based on swabs inside the mouth which yield skin cells). This sentence:
"Right now, most personal genomics is based on gene scans that identify single-letter mutations in the genetic code . . . "
--might be written: "Right now, the majority of individual scans of genetic material that identify single-letter mutations in the genetic code . . . "
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