[Fis] Is there a boundary between genetic informatics and genetics?

[Xueshan Yan]

Dear FIS Colleagues:

Last week, Sung and I discussed the problem of information in cell language
and human language. Pedro gave his opinion too. I think the Sung’s work is
very important to our information science study.

Biology is an informational science, this is the view of Leroy E. Hood of
the Nobel prize winner of 2002. As to this argument, he didn't give a
complete biological argument ― only a genomics one. Review the history of
those disciplines that claimed to be the member of information science in
the past years, although we cannot wholly agree with them, for example,
Bradley Efron ― the former president of the American Statistical
Association ― thought: "Statistics is an information science, the first and
most fully developed information science." But I believe, imitating the
Efron's statement: "Genetics is an information science, the first and most
fully developed information science." It seems to be more real.

In Sung’s statement, imitating human linguistics of letters, words,
sentences, texts, he divided the substrate or the media that carry genetic
information into the following categories: A. C, G, T or U →
genes/mRNA/proteins → metabolic pathways → functional networks of
metabolic pathways, as long as we remember those biological experts ― the
Nobel prize winner in physiology or medicine in 2013 ― whose works are only
about the chemical signal (information?) in neurotransmitters, they found
that signals from one nerve cell to another must be in the form of small
packages of vesicles. In some degree, we are immediately aware of its great
significance of the study about hierarchical structure of the substrate or
the media which carry genetic information here. But, the final verdict may
be made by the biologists rather than our information scientists, that is to
say, the right of speech may not be in us. Our bewilderment is: Is there a
boundary between genetic informatics and genetics? If so, where is it?

For us, if we want to make information science a success, the understanding
of information transmission theory in genetics is indispensable. There is no
fugitive and cloistered road to the freedom of information science,
depression and desolation absolutely is not a positive information to FIS.

 

Best wishes,

Xueshan

Peking University

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