Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2004

本行动为2004年度美国国家科学基金会少数民族博士后研究奖学金提供资金。该奖学金的目标是增加博士后水平的少数民族科学家的参与，并为他们在学术界和工业界担任科学领导职位做好准备。为了实现这一目标，该奖学金为最近的博士获得者提供了最高质量的博士后培训和研究机会。预计通过这些研究金支持的研究员将在培训未来劳动力方面发挥重要作用。这项研究和培训计划的标题是“利用秀丽隐杆线虫进行胚胎发生中DNA复制的功能基因组方法”。为了鉴定对基本细胞过程至关重要的基因，RNA干扰（RNAi）正在秀丽隐杆线虫中被用于鉴定和研究胚胎致死基因。在相同过程中起作用的基因通常在共享表型的基础上聚集在一起，从而促进了对该簇中发现的新基因的功能预测。使用延时成像技术记录早期胚胎表型，并将显示相似表型的基因放入假定的功能组中。为了验证基于表型的聚类可以准确预测基因功能的观点，将研究假设在DNA复制中起作用的新基因。培训目标是使用功能基因组学工具获得这种基本细胞过程的系统级视图。这将为在教学和研究机构建立一个独立的研究项目奠定基础。

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2004. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in academia and industry. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.The research and training plan is entitled "Functional genomic approach to DNA replication in embryogenesis using Caenorhabditis elegans." To identify genes essential for basic cellular processes, RNA interference (RNAi) is being used in C. elegans to identify and study embryonic lethal genes. Genes that function in the same process often cluster together on the basis of shared phenotypes, facilitating functional prediction for novel genes found in that cluster. Early embryonic phenotypes are being recorded using time-lapse imaging and genes that show similar phenotypes will be placed into putative functional groups. To test the idea that phenotype-based clustering can accurately predict gene function, new genes hypothesized to act in DNA replication will be studied. The training goals are to obtain a systems-level view of this fundamental cellular process using tools of functional genomics. This will lay the foundation for establishing an independent research program at a teaching and research institution.