Oxford English Dictionary credits word “genomics” to Jackson Laboratory scientist
JAX® NOTES Issue 511, Fall 2008
The Oxford English Dictionary has credited the word "genomics" to retired Jackson Laboratory geneticist and Bangor native Dr. Thomas H. Roderick. The dictionary defines the term as "the scientific study of genomes . . . ; the branch of molecular biology concerned with the structure, function, and evolution of genomes". The word first appeared 20 years ago, in a 1987 article by Victor McKusick and Frank Ruddle in the premier issue of the journal by the same name (McKusick and Ruddle 1987). In the article, Roderick states: "One evening, about 10 of us were . . . discussing possible titles for the new journal . . . when I suggested 'genomics'. Little did we know then that it would become such a widely used term." The goal of Genomics is to “promote the understanding of the structure, function, and evolution of genomes in all kingdoms of life and the application of genome sciences and technologies to challenging problems in biology and medicine".
Reference
McKusick VA, Ruddle FH. 1987. Toward a complete map of the human genome. Genomics 1:103-6.
