Powers and Perils of Individual Human Genomes, Single Cell Genomes, Single DNA Molecule Genomics and Sub-cellular Genomes

The 20th Century saw the growth of the field of Genetics, Molecular Genetics and Genomics.  The 21st Century is witnessing the sequencing of the several genome including the Human Genome and tremendous advances in the fields of Epigenomics and Metagenomics.  The techniques for DNA analysis available today enables with great ease to routinely address DNA and genomic questions at single DNA molecule sensitivity.  These fantastic advances are opening up new possibilities in DNA analysis ranging from genome analysis and, exploration of genomes and novel DNA diagnostics and several other applications.  But these powerful sensitivities also raise numerous questions and embarrassing gaps - especially in a subset of 'essentially single cell derived single DNA molecule problems in Biology.  The more difficult ones now take us to issues of cell level variation in the genome and subgenomic DNA molecules - both quantitative and qualitative differences.  It questions the completion of the Human Genome Sequence.  It questions whether it will be possible at all to achieve a complete genome sequence.  These theoretical questions also have important practical impacts - ranging from developing new ways to address and apply genomic information.  I will raise and address some of the easy to identify issues which need answering.  Answers to some of these questions will require a reappreciation of the genome concept and also a reassessment of what is possible and promised by genomic understanding and what will not be resolvable.  Finally I will suggest that the incompleteness and the resulting implications we have to live with might be resolvable if we consider new theoretical frame works under which the genome and genomic rules operate.  Some of these, surprisingly, point us in the direction of Ancient Indian Knowledge - particularly Ayurveda when concerns about human health and disease are viewed and discussed.