Connecting genes to physiology: the first 25 years of Physiological Genomics.

Abstract

Physiological Genomics (PG) published its first issue in July 1999, with the goal of providing a forum for scientists to exchange ideas and scientific results related to the linkage between genetic information and physiological function. In this review, past and present editors reflect on PG's role in the scientific community, the founding of the journal and the historical context in which it was formed within the American Physiological Society (APS). The editors reflect on a critical conference that united physiologists and geneticists and their determination for APS to take the lead in integrating these communities. In the past 25 years, key technologies for linking genes to physiology including methods for DNA sequencing, connecting genotype with phenotype, and monitoring gene expression, metabolites, and microbiota have all been revolutionized, creating a dynamic scientific environment that has resulted in highly impactful research across a wide range of fields. As methods, technologies, and data analysis tools have developed, PG has been a consistent forum for sharing cutting-edge research on the latest advances in the rapidly evolving field of linking molecular data to physiological function. This article highlights the key technological advances related to the connection between genes and physiology. The contribution of the journal to the scientific community during the time periods of each of the five Editors-in-Chief are summarized, illuminating key technological approaches featured in PG and scientific questions that were addressed. The article ends with a look forward, describing what the authors anticipate for the future of PG.