Phenomenal Phenomics
Predictive phenomics is a scientific superpower.
A phenotype is an observable characteristic or trait in an organism—blue or brown eyes, or pink or blue hydrangeas.
On a molecular scale phenotypes determine whether a bacterium produces an antibiotic, a toxin or other useful molecules.
Phenotypes wield power.
But, to unlock this power, we must first understand how traits function and how they are controlled.
Traditionally, scientists sought to understand biological function by studying an organism’s genetic code.
While genes provide a blueprint, they don’t tell the whole story—environmental factors and molecular interactions also shape traits in profound ways.
At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), we’re starting at the phenome—the complete set of traits in an organism. By taking a deep dive into the molecular mechanisms that shape them, we learn what changes, how it changes, and why it changes.
That’s phenomics.
For example, we know that hydrangeas change color in response to the pH in surrounding soil. The color change—their phenotype—is influenced by environmental factors.
On a smaller scale than hydrangeas, we examine microbes.
In a recent study at PNNL, researchers examined microbes with a phenotype to produce sugars.
Yes, sugar is tasty, but even more importantly, it’s a key ingredient in producing valuable bioproducts. The more sugar we produce, the more raw ingredients we have for manufacturing chemicals and materials.
They discovered that leaving the lights on for the microbes caused them to spend more time producing sugars valuable for biomanufacturing.
It’s an example of how a simple environmental change redirected the microbes towards increasing a valuable activity.
With these insights, we can harness the power of biology by devising new ways to engineer microbial systems underpinning U.S. leadership in biotechnology.
PNNL does this by integrating expertise in molecular science and multi-omics with the power of artificial intelligence and advanced modeling to uncover the rules governing phenomes.
Predictive phenomics isn’t just about understanding traits—it’s about putting them to work.
...if we could engineer biological systems to produce valuable bioproducts for industry.
...if we could advance treatments by targeting biological systems at their most fundamental levels, implement personalized treatment plans at the onset of disease.
...if we could harness microbial phenomes to ensure crop resilience.
...if we could develop biological sensors that can detect biohazards or contamination.
Predictive phenomics can bring these ideas to life by harnessing the power of biological systems.
Explore our pioneering research, meet our experts, and discover how PNNL is making phenomenal things possible.
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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is managed and operated by Battelle for the Department of Energy
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