Phenomics

Phenomics is the systematic study of traits that make up a phenotype. It was coined by UC Berkeley and LBNL scientist Steven A. Garan. As such, it is a transdisciplinary area of research that involves biology, data sciences, engineering and other fields. Phenomics is concerned with the measurement of the phenotype where a phenome is a set of traits (physical and biochemical traits) that can be produced by a given organism over the course of development and in response to genetic mutation and environmental influences. It is also important to remember that an organisms phenotype changes with time. The relationship between phenotype and genotype enables researchers to understand and study pleiotropy. Phenomics concepts are used in functional genomics, pharmaceutical research, metabolic engineering, agricultural research, and increasingly in phylogenetics.

Technical challenges involve improving, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the capacity to measure phenomes.