Say What? Genetics

Melonomics: Sounds like a cancer, smells like a melon

The complete genome of a muskmelon launched a subfield dubbed melonomics

cantaloupe

WHAT'S YOUR CODE  The melonomics project uncovered the genome of melons like this cantaloupe.

abbyladybug/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

By Sarah Schwartz

- More than 2 years ago

Melonomics
/Meh-luh-NOH-miks/ n.

A project that deciphered the genetic blueprint, or genome, of melons. 

The melonomics project — named for melon genomics (and not for melanoma) — ran from 2009 to 2013 in Spain and sequenced the genome of Cucumis melo, a muskmelon species that includes varieties such as cantaloupe and honeydew.