Genomics is the study of the ways in which all of the genes in an organism’s DNA - its genome - interact with each other and the environment. While the basic theory of DNA is over a century old, the sequencing of the first complete human genome was only accomplished relatively recently, in 2003 as part of the Human Genome Project. In recent years, the study of the genomics of humans and other organisms has emerged as an important enabler of advances in many areas including the prevention and treatment of disease, improvement of the sustainability and productivity of agriculture, and furthering our understanding of the biology of humans, plants, and animals.
Human beings have over 3 billion DNA pairs and 20,000 genes in their genomes, which can influence everything from our physical appearance to the functioning of our organ systems. Given this enormous complexity, rapid advances in the field of data science along with its application to molecular biology through the related disciplines of computational biology and bioinformatics has made it possible to compare, analyze, and draw insights from genomics far more rapidly than ever before. Genomics data science researchers today typically rely on familiar software implementation tools like Python and R as well as more specialized programs including Bioconductor and Galaxy.