Yeast: one cell, one reference sequence, many genomes?

Szymanski, E., Vermeulen, N. and Wong, M. (2019) Yeast: one cell, one reference sequence, many genomes? New Genetics and Society, 38(4), pp. 430-450. (doi: 10.1080/14636778.2019.1677150)

Abstract

The genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae – brewer’s or baker’s yeast – was the first eukaryotic genome to be sequenced in 1996. The identity of that yeast genome has been not just a product of sequencing, but also of its use after sequencing and particularly of its mobilization in scientific literature. We ask “what is the yeast genome?” as an empirical question by investigating “the yeast genome” as a discursive entity. Analyzing publications that followed sequencing points to several “yeast genomes” existing side-by-side: genomes as physical molecules, digital texts, and a historic event. Resolving this unified-yet-multiple “genome” helps make sense of contemporary developments in yeast genomics such as the synthetic yeast project, in which apparently “the same” genome occupies multiple roles and locations, and points to the utility of examining specific non-human genomes independent of the Human Genome Project.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 678757 awarded to Miguel García-Sancho for the project ‘TRANSGENE: Medical translation in the history of modern genomics.” We thank the members of TRANSGENE including Dr. García-Sancho, Ann Bruce, Rhodri Leng, James Lowe, Giuditta Parolini, and Gil Vry. We particularly thank Dr. Parolini for her generosity in sharing data and expertise.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Wong, Dr Mark
• Authors: Szymanski, E., Vermeulen, N., and Wong, M.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: New Genetics and Society
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1463-6778
• ISSN (Online): 1469-9915
• Published Online: 14 October 2019
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor and Francis Group
• First Published: First published in New Genetics and Society 38(4):430-450
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy