Before You Begin

This guide is an introduction to genomics, with a focus on cancer, written by and for computer scientists and engineers. Its goal is to give you a working mental model of the field as quickly as possible, and that comes with a few caveats. Please keep them in mind as you read.

• The guide paints in broad strokes. The biology underlying cancer genomics is exceedingly complex and takes years of study, so we draw abstractions around a lot of it to keep it approachable. Please be forgiving if you feel we have glossed over your favorite quirk of cancer genomics.
• That said, simplified does not mean wrong. Nothing in this guide should be incorrect. If you find something that is, please file an issue on the GitHub repository.
• It covers eukaryotic biology. Everything here refers to the molecular biology of organisms whose DNA is enclosed within a nucleus. Most familiar species are eukaryotes; the main exceptions are bacteria and archaea, whose DNA sits loose in the cell. At times, the guide focuses specifically on sequencing human cells.
• It is for research use only. Everything in the guide is presented within a research context and may not be relied on in making decisions about patients. Please see the LICENSE.md for more information.

This guide is maintained by its community, and contributions of every size are welcome, from fixing a typo to writing a new page. Every page has an "Edit this page" link at the bottom, and you can open issues and pull requests on the GitHub repository. We hope you enjoy the read!