Evolutionary Synthesis Center Workshop, May 30-June 1, 2001 in Arlington, VA

进化长期以来一直是生物学研究的统一，但现在它已经获得了一个更核心的角色。今天，进化为所有生命科学的数据采集、分析和解释提供了信息和指导。这种转变部分来自于原始数据的爆炸式增长，这些数据来源广泛，包括基因组序列、适应生理学、群体遗传学、长期行为研究、发育机制、生态遗传学、大规模生态系统研究、功能基因组学和系统遗传学。这些数据只能使用高度发达的数据库管理和分析工具来解释和综合，并且需要进化的比较工具。没有一个机构专门负责巩固、综合和传播这种广泛的与进化有关的资料。因此，提议的讲习班的目标是讨论建立一个进化综合中心的必要性，以及这种中心所需的实际的、与数据有关的能力。进化综合中心将通过提供机制来促进现有和新产生的数据集的协作、跨学科综合，从而满足进化生物学社区的需求。该中心还将在进一步统一生物科学方面发挥关键作用，因为它汇集了来自不同领域的知识，以增加我们对生物形式和功能的一般理解。最后，该中心还将在组织和综合进化知识方面发挥重要作用，这些知识将为非学术界提供信息，例如，在应用进化领域，如传染病、药物设计和生物修复。

Riley0120472Evolution has long served to unify the study of biology, but it has now acquired a more central role. Today evolution informs and directs data acquisition, analysis and interpretation in all of the life sciences. This transformation comes in part from the explosion of raw data, from sources as far-ranging as genome sequences, adaptive physiology, population genetics, long-term behavioral studies, developmental mechanisms, ecological genetics, large-scale ecosystem studies, functional genomics, and phylogenetics. Such data can only be interpreted and synthesized using highly developed database management and analysis tools and requires the comparative tools of evolution. There is no institution dedicated to the consolidation, synthesis and dissemination of this broad sweep of evolutionarily relevant information. Therefore the goal of the proposed workshop is to discuss the need for an evolutionary synthesis center, as well as the practical, data-related capacities required for such a center. A center for evolutionary synthesis would serve the needs of the evolutionary biology community by providing mechanisms to foster collaborative, cross-disciplinary synthesis of existing and newly-produced datasets. The center would also play a critical role in the further unification of the biological sciences as it draws together knowledge from disparate fields to increase our general understanding of biological form and function. Finally, the center would also play a valuable role in organizing and synthesizing evolutionary knowledge that will inform non-academics, for example, in areas of applied evolution such as infectious disease, drug design, and bioremediation.