About this Research Topic

Background

Multi-omics (such as genomics and transcriptomics) have been rapidly developed for various biomedical research projects. Their great achievements and applications have attracted numerous researchers worldwide to participate in and make contributions to basic and applied biosciences over the past decades. Aquatic animals are irreplaceable in aquatic ecosystems and contribute to the diversity of global water environments. They frequently bring significant economic benefits and play an indispensable role in biomedical research.
To better understand aquatic animals and the protective utilization of these diverse bioresources, genomics, and transcriptomics have emerged as powerful tools in the research of aquatic evolutionary biology. Large-scale genomic or transcriptomic projects exclusively for aquatic animals, such as Marine Mammal Genome project, Cetacean Genomes Project, Fish10K (The 10,000 Fish Genomes Project), and Fish-T1K (Transcriptomes of 1,000 Fishes), have greatly facilitated the evolutionary and systematic research of the sequenced creatures. The explosion of big genomics data also deepens the understanding of neo- and sub-functions of important macromolecules (such as proteins, peptides, and RNAs) and related networks, especially in poorly studied groups. Meanwhile, integration of genomics and transcriptomics usually provides novel approaches to dig out functional macromolecules from natural resources, as well as speed up the discovery of novel bioactive substances (such as antimicrobial peptides and toxins) for the development of marine drugs. However, related genomic and transcriptomic data have been at a status of scarcity.

Therefore, in this Research Topic, integrative genomic and transcriptomic data from various aquatic animals (including fishes, shrimps, crabs, and marine invertebrates) are highly recommended since they will provide valuable genetic resources for in-depth biomedical investigations. Extended details of protein and RNA networks, cellular biochemistry, protein chemistry and/or structural prediction, or molecular genetics are required to provide novel insights into the omics-based biosynthesis and development of bioactive products.
Through this Research Topic, we also seek to understand the potential roles of diverse functional macromolecules and related networks. Accordingly, the present Research Topic is becoming a new platform to promote international aquatic genomics and transcriptomics for addressing adaptative mechanisms of molecular, physiological, or ecological phenotypes. Various article types, including Original Research, Review, and Data Report, are welcome.

We welcome submissions covering the following subtopics, but are not limited to:

• Genomics, transcriptomics, and bioinformatics for aquatic biology
• Evolutionary biology of aquatic animals
• Adaptative mechanisms of molecular, physiological, or ecological phenotypes
• Functional research of important macromolecules and related networks
• Expression pattern of functional macromolecules and their products

Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.

Keywords: aquatic animals, genomics, transcriptomics, genetics, evolutionary biology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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