We're All Computational Biologists Now?Next Stop, the Global Brain?

Richard A Jorgensen

doi:10.3389/fgene.2011.00068

Abstract

We're All Computational Biologists Now?Next Stop, the Global Brain?

Highlights

We all know that the molecular biology revolution was the foundation of the genomics revolution – don’t we? Molecular biology made genomics possible, but it was wholly inadequate on its own to fully exploit the potential for genomics to revolutionize biology
Why? Ironically, it was molecular biologists who had instigated a rather messy divorce from what they viewed as the tradition-bound sciences of ecology, evolution, taxonomy, and systematics
These brash,“young bucks” of molecular biology shook traditional biology to its foundation, triggering a tsunami of divisions of biology departments into two distinct types of entities: new, reductionist-driven departments centered on molecular biology and biochemistry and more traditional, holistic departments centered on ecology, evolution, and biodiversity. (A few notable exceptions, such as Indiana University, successfully maintained a broad-based, integrated Biology Department.)

Summary

Introduction

We all know that the molecular biology revolution was the foundation of the genomics revolution – don’t we? Molecular biology made genomics possible, but it was wholly inadequate on its own to fully exploit the potential for genomics to revolutionize biology. We all know that the molecular biology revolution was the foundation of the genomics revolution – don’t we? Most molecular biologists found themselves woefully unprepared for the new revolution that was beginning to emerge.

Results

Conclusion