Phenomics: conceptualization and importance for plant physiology

Alonso Zavafer; Harvey Bates; Cristian Mancilla; Peter J Ralph

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2023.03.023

Phenomics: conceptualization and importance for plant physiology

Trends Plant Sci. 2023 Sep;28(9):1004-1013. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.03.023. Epub 2023 May 2.

Authors

Alonso Zavafer¹, Harvey Bates², Cristian Mancilla³, Peter J Ralph²

Affiliations

¹ Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada; Department of Engineering, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: azavaleta@brocku.ca.
² Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
³ Department of Engineering, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 37137749
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.03.023

Abstract

Phenomics is a relatively new discipline of biology that has been widely applied in several fields, mainly in crop sciences. We reviewed the concepts used in this discipline (particularly for plants) and found a lack of consensus on what defines a phenomic study. Furthermore, phenomics has been primarily developed around its technical aspects (operationalization), while the conceptual framework of the actual research lags behind. Each research group has given its own interpretation of this 'omic' and thus unwittingly created a 'conceptual controversy'. Addressing this issue is of particular importance, as the experimental designs and concepts of phenomics are so diverse that it is difficult to compare studies. In this opinion article, we evaluate the conceptual framework of phenomics.

Keywords: omics; phenome; phenomics; phenotype.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Concept Formation*
Phenomics*
Phenotype
Plant Physiological Phenomena
Plants / genetics