The exposome: Tensions between holism and reductionism

In a post-genomics context, the concept of the exposome was introduced by Christopher Wild to advance a unified approach of exposures and consolidate different disciplinary fields of environmental health research. The exposome approach is characterized by the will to develop an integrative, longitudinal and more precise analysis of exposures, through the identification of biomarkers. The application of this plastic concept constitutes a privileged field of exploration of current issues and tensions, notably between holism and reductionism. This article analyses this concept and the associated promises. Improving the integration of biological, environmental and social data, the exposome concept supports practical interactions in the field of environmental health research and the advent of novel crosswise concepts to understand aetiology, such as 'embodiment' or 'sociomarkers'.