Table 1 Definitions
From: The founding charter of the Genomic Observatories Network
Biocode | The totality of DNA sequences in a given unit of biological organization, such as a: cell (e.g., the Yeast Biocode includes both its nuclear and mitochondrial genomes); organism (e.g., the Human Biocode includes both the Human Genome and the Human Microbiome); ecosystem (e.g., the Moorea Biocode includes all the genomes on the island); planet (e.g., the Earth Biocode includes all the genomes on the planet) |
Biocoding the earth | The aspirational target of sequencing every genome on the planet. While a theoretical goal that is clearly unattainable in practice, strategic genome sequencing (e.g., as proposed by the Global Genome Initiative http://www.mnh.si.edu/ggi/) can cover the major variation found among genomes on Earth |
Planetary genome | A special case of the biocode: the sum of all genomes that exist on Earth at a given time. (N.B. (nota bene): the existence of a planetary genome neither implies that natural selection acts at this level, nor that the phenotype of the planetary genome is adapted for its preservation and propagation) |
Genomic biodiversity | The genetic variation found among genomes |
Biodiversity genomics | The field of scientific study that maps genomic biodiversity over space and time, investigates the functional consequences of this variation, and seeks to explain how it is generated and maintained |
Ecosystem | A biological community of interacting organisms in their physical and chemical environment |
Genomic Observatory | An ecosystem and/or site subject to long-term scientific research, including (but not limited to) the sustained study of genomic biodiversity from single-celled microbes to multicellular organisms |
Genomic Observatories (GOs) Network | A network (i) of ecosystems and sites, which are often already part of existing scientific networks, (ii) of researchers, who are intensively studying one or more GOs, and (iii) of institutions, infrastructures, and initiatives, whose work aligns with the GOs Network’s mission |
Future ‘omics (futuromics) | The preservation of biological samples for eventual study of their nucleotide and protein sequences through the techniques of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other ‘omics’ analyses |