Cross-disciplinary evolution of the genomics revolution.

Area of Science:

• Genomics and Bioinformatics
• Computational Biology
• Science of Science

Background:

• The Human Genome Project (HGP) spurred rapid growth in genomics, creating significant scientific and business impact.
• Previous research focused on the economic impact of genomics, neglecting its social and cultural capital.
• Genomics inherently bridges biology and computing, forming a unique interdisciplinary field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the social and cultural capital generated by the integration of biology and computing in genomics research.
• To measure the pervasiveness of bio-computing cross-disciplinarity (XD) during and after the HGP.
• To analyze the career and epistemic impacts of cross-disciplinary genomics research.

Main Methods:

• Assembled three datasets to measure cross-disciplinarity (XD).
• Analyzed collaboration networks between biology and computing faculty (4190 faculty, 155 departments).
• Examined cross-departmental affiliations in human genomics publications.
• Assessed the application of computational methods in a leading genomics journal.

Main Results:

• Research featuring XD collaborations demonstrated higher citation impact at both career and article levels.
• Genomics articles employing XD methods achieved higher citation impact compared to epistemically pure articles.
• Researchers with computing backgrounds were observed to integrate into the biology research culture.

Conclusions:

• Cross-disciplinary initiatives in genomics generate substantial social and cultural capital, evidenced by higher citation impact.
• The integration of computing into biology research fosters a productive environment for scientific advancement.
• This study provides a framework for understanding the long-term effects of cross-disciplinary research initiatives.