ABSTRACT
Genomic science is a wholly new approach by which we are seeking to understand the blindingly complex structures and interactive processes that generate a biological phenotype. Although it is not uncommon to encounter definitions of genomics that are little more than lists of the analytical tools used in molecular biology research, this new science is far more than such a definition might imply. These technologies are, of course, essential tools with which to pursue important biological questions, but focus on the technology alone has tended to obscure the fundamental significance of this new discipline and the basic paradigm shift that it implies.
