As our ability to acquire massive amounts of information about genome variation accelerates it is becoming increasingly clear that to make maximum use of this information we also need well-structured, systematic data on the phenotypic consequences of genomic changes.

Phenomics is the new discipline of using standardized measurement techniques to characterize the phenotypic effects of random or systematic genome modifications (for example randomly generated mutations or systematic gene knockouts). This approach is now being used in an increasing range of species and systems. In this book, experts working in phenomics in most of the major species and systems that are currently being studied present overviews of the field from their different, but overlapping perspectives.