Toponomics

Not to be confused with Toponymy.

Toponomics is a discipline in systems biology, molecular cell biology, and histology concerning the study of the toponome of organisms.^[1][2] It is the field of study that purposes to decode the complete toponome in health and disease (the human toponome project)^[3]—which is the next big challenge in human biotechnology after having decoded the human genome.^[3][4]

A toponome is the spatial network code of proteins and other biomolecules in morphologically intact cells and tissues.^[2][5]

The spatial organization of biomolecules in cells is directly revealed by imaging cycler microscopy with parameter- and dimension-unlimited functional resolution. The resulting toponome structures are hierarchically organized and can be described by a three symbol code.^[1][5][6][7]

Etymology

The terms toponome and toponomics were introduced in 2003 by Walter Schubert based on observations with imaging cycler microscopes (ICM).^[1]

Toponome derived from the ancient Greek nouns topos (τόπος, 'place, position') and 'nomos' (νόμος, 'law'). Hence toponomics is a descriptive term addressing the fact that the spatial network of biomolecules in cells follows topological rules enabling coordinated actions.^[1]