Benefits and Successful Applications of Omics in

Vancouver, BC, Canada) was to assess cur rent developments leading to the incorpora tion of omic technologies into environ mental risk assessment and environmental monitor ing, particularly in relation to aquatic eco toxicogenomics. Participants recognized that omic tools and associated end points are already significantly improving our understand ing of how individual chemicals and mixtures affect organisms and could ultimately influence risk assessment and environmental manage ment. Although a significant amount of basic research and validation is needed before omic end points are incorporated as complemen tary data for routine assessments of environ mental risk, participants generally agreed that there are no roadblocks for omics technology per se, but there are hurdles along the road of discovery, acceptance, and implementation of omic end points. Given the context of the workshop, it is important to note that “the successful incorporation of toxico genomics into regulatory frameworks may someday be regarded as the most important intellectual and practical contribution from this generation of eco toxicologists ” (Ankley et al. 2006)