Joining the dots between omics and environmental management

With the rapid advancement of DNA sequencing technologies and the substantial reduction of their running costs, environmental genomics and transcriptomics become more affordable and popular in environmental toxicology. In parallel, there are also speedy improvements of mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, enabling high-throughput analyses of proteins and metabolites in biological samples and promoting research studies in proteomics and metabolomics. By applying these high-throughput omics technologies, researchers can quickly generate an unprecedentedly vast amount of biological data that may be useful to environmental management. However, the current pace of applying omics information in environmental management is still very slow, and lags well behind the rapid development of omics-based research. This timely commentary, therefore, calls for joint efforts to increase this pace and join the dots between omics and environmental management, turning omics into practical tools. Herein, I explore how omics can contribute to risk assessment and management of chemicals, and recommend what we can do to facilitate and promote the use of omics information in environmental management. This article is especially dedicated to my role model, mentor, and friend, Peter M Chapman (1951-2017), who sadly passed away on 26 September 2017. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:169-173. © 2017 SETAC.