Arabidopsis 2010: High-Throughput Functional Analysis of Differentiation Network Genes

纽约大学获得一笔赠款，通过使用高通量反向遗传学研究分化细胞的基因电路来确定一个网络或一组基因的基因功能。该项目的一个重要组成部分是开发可以预测基因组中遗传冗余的计算技术。准确的冗余预测将提供一个模型来设计高效的反向遗传学管道，以描述数百个基因的功能，并使小型实验室能够参与集中的高通量表型筛选。这项研究首先针对根中分化的主要调节因子，研究它们对细胞水平基因表达的影响。此外，研究人员还检查了推定的下游细胞特异性靶点的功能，其中许多靶点的功能未知。因此，最终结果将是对细胞分化中的关键枢纽及其下游靶点的作用的描述。这些回路被期望在局部作用以控制特定的植物性状而不干扰一般的植物功能。因此，它们是用于增强期望的植物性状或减少不期望的植物性状的优良靶标。开发高通量技术来发现参与细胞分化的基因的功能，将使高中到研究生阶段的学生能够参与生物学研究。将组织一个新的比较基因组学课程。此外，纽约市高中教师将能够参加纽约大学的一个项目，向他们介绍现代生物研究。拟议的项目与应用研究有着密切的联系，这些研究可能会改善植物的农业和其他商业应用，因为它所针对的基因分析可能涉及指定具有商业价值的性状。 该项目网站将可从PI的主页http：//homepages.nyu.edu/pikdb4348/访问，将向公众开放，并将包含有关该项目的信息，参与者，开发的软件，以及在此奖项下建立的数据库。该数据库和信息将与TAIR和纽约大学资助的VirtualPlant项目共享，也将免费提供给感兴趣的学术研究人员。

New York University is awarded a grant to determine gene function for a network or group of genes by using high-throughput reverse genetics to investigate the gene circuitry of differentiating cells. An essential part of the project is the development of computational techniques that can predict genetic redundancy in the genome. Accurate redundancy predictions will provide a model to design efficient reverse genetics pipelines to describe the function of hundreds of genes and enable small labs to participate in focused, high-throughput phenomic screens. The study first targets master regulators of differentiation in the root, examining their influence on gene expression at the cell level. In addition, the investigators examine the function of putative downstream cell-specific targets, many of which are of unknown function. Thus, the end result will be a description of critical hubs in cellular differentiation and the role of their downstream targets. These circuits are expected to act locally to control specific plant traits without perturbing general plant functions. Thus, they are excellent targets for enhancing desirable plant traits or diminishing undesirable ones. The development of high-throughput techniques to discover the function of genes involved in cellular differentiation will allow students from the high school to graduate levels to participate in biological research. A new course in Comparative Genomics will be organized. In addition, New York City high school teachers will be able to participate in an NYU program that introduces them to modern biological research. The proposed project has strong ties to applied research that could lead to improving plants for agricultural and other commercial applications since the genes it targets for analysis are likely to be involved in specifying commercially valuable traits. The project website will be accessible from the PI's homepage at http://homepages.nyu.edu/~kdb4348/, will be open to the public, and will contain information about the project, participants, developed software, and databases built under this award. The database and information will be shared with TAIR and the VirtualPlant project also funded at NYU, and will also be freely available to interested academic researchers.