Introduction to Genomics

About this book

Our genome is the blueprint for our existence: it encodes all the information we need to develop from a single cell into a hugely complicated functional organism. Yet it is more than a static information store: our genome is a dynamic, tightly regulated collection of genes, which switch on and off in many combinations to give the variety of cells from which our bodies are formed. But how do we identify the genes that make up our genome? How do we determine their function? And how do different genes form the regulatory networks that direct the processes of life?

Introduction to Genomics is the most up-to-date and complete textbook for students approaching the subject for the first time. Lesk's engaging writing style brings a narrative to a disparate field of study and offers a fascinating insight into what can be revealed from the study of genomes. The book covers: the similarities and differences between organisms; how different organisms evolved; how the genome is constructed and how it operates; and what our understanding of genomics means in terms of our future health and well-being.

New to this edition:
- Table of contents rearranged to highlight expanded coverage in various areas
- Coverage of new high-throughput sequencing methods
- Discussion of AlphaFold breakthrough in predicting of protein structure from amino acid sequence
- Consideration of bioinformatics and its integration with genomics
- Expanded content on the human genome and comprehensive whole-genome sequencing projects, including neonatal sequencing
- More on the treatment of genomics in human health and disease, including Genome-Wide-Association Studies, and application of genomics in the understanding, detection, and treatment of cancer
- New and updated chapter exercises and problems

Contents

1. Introduction and background
2. The Human Genome Project: achievements and applications
3. Bioinformatics
4. Classical genetics, mapping and sequencing
5. Evolution and genomic change
6. Comparative genomics
7. Genomes of prokaryotes and viruses
8. Genomes of eukaryotes
9. Genomics and anthropology: human evolution, Migration, and domestication of plants and animals
10. The impact of genomics on human health and disease
11. Transcriptomics
12. Proteomics
13. Metabolomics
14. Systems biology

Customer Reviews

Biography

Arthur M. Lesk is Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The Pennsylvania State University, USA. Arthur received the Carl Branden award from the Protein Society in 2023.