Environmental Genomics
Programme background
Studying genes and the environment
The Environmental Genomics programme acquired and exploited sequence data for whole and partial genomes, helping us to understand environmental biology.
One important aim was to demonstrate to the environmental community, in particular regulators and industry, how post-genomic technologies can be applied to tackle environmental issues.
The programme established a nation-wide community of researchers, both empiricists and theoreticians, with the skills to develop and apply post-genome technologies to the study of how organisms and ecosystems function.
Training in genomic techniques, particularly for ecologists who were new to the field, was an important part of the programme.
Effective data management was also crucial. The Environmental Genomics programme created a specialised data centre (joint with the Post-Genomics and Proteomics programme), the NERC Environmental Bioinformatics Centre (NEBC). This provided comprehensive tools to help the programmes' researchers with bioinformatics software and support and data management for archiving, collating and mining environmental genomic data.
The Environmental Genomics programme investigated model systems with well-understood genetic codes (often studied for their biotechnology potential) alongside a wide range of plants, animals and microbes.