Abstract: Plant Phenomics - the quantitative science of deciphering plant phenotype
20 years ago, as a Master student, I started my first collaboration with a plant biologist, and back then, the term "phenomics" was essentially non-existent. Yet, why do we need phenomics, and what makes it different from other -omics? In short, Plant Phenomics employs formal systems, such as sensors, algorithms, and simulations, to aggregate and integrate data on the multiscale dynamics between plants and their environment. In its definition, plant phenomics strongly emphasizes the recognition of all biological and ecological scales equally and distinguishes strictly between observable and measurable quantities. This emphasis defines a space where formal and hypothesis-driven science disciplines intersect to challenge established concepts, such as the notion that the phenotype is merely the sum of the genome, environment, and gene-environment interactions. This talk invites everyone to explore the history of phenotype and examples where current frameworks cannot explain the observations made in nature.