IGERT Program in Comparative Genomics

生命科学的研究正在经历一场彻底的变革。现在有了许多生物体的完整基因组序列，科学家们可以开始解决以前难以解决的基本问题。新的基因从何而来？哪些基因使我们成为独一无二的人类？什么功能与基因组的不同区域有关？基因组学将在未来二十年重塑生物学研究，并对医学和人类健康、农业、工程、我们对生命起源和生物之间关系的理解产生深远影响。这个新领域的研究需要不同背景的科学家之间的协调互动。为了满足这一需求，亚利桑那大学于五年前建立了基因组学综合研究生教育和研究培训（IGERT）计划。为了认识到该领域的变化方向，在这次更新中将开展四项新的活动：(1)关于比较基因组学的讲座和计算机实验室课程，所有学生都将学习基因组学的基础知识，包括参与的技能；(2)基因组学研究的实践课程；(3)在当地一所具有70%少数民族招生的科学磁铁高中进行教学和推广；(4)邀请其他机构的发言人参加年度专题讨论会。该项目还将以现有优势为基础，包括跨学科咨询、研究轮转、研讨会、道德培训、讨论小组以及在其他学术机构或行业的实习。这一培训计划的影响将是为下一代生物学家提供工具，以应对基因组规模研究的挑战。迄今为止，该项目非常成功，在亚利桑那大学14个系的37个实验室培养了博士生。更新的一个关键新组成部分是让IGERT学生参与高中科学教育的计划。这将把科学，特别是基因组学，带到一个更广泛的社区，并将鼓励少数民族学生在他们教育的早期阶段进入科学职业。IGERT是一项nsf范围内的计划，旨在满足教育美国博士科学家和工程师的挑战，他们具有跨学科背景，所选学科的深厚知识，以及未来职业需求所需的技术，专业和个人技能。该计划旨在通过建立创新的研究生教育和培训模式，在一个超越传统学科界限的合作研究的肥沃环境中，促进研究生教育的文化变革。

Research in the life sciences is undergoing a radical transformation. With the complete genome sequences of many organisms now available, scientists can begin to tackle fundamental questions that were previously intractable. Where do new genes come from? Which genes make us uniquely human? What functions are associated with different regions of the genome? Genomics will reshape biological research in the next twenty years and have a profound impact on medicine and human health, agriculture, engineering, our understanding of the origin of life and of the relationships among living organisms. Research in this new area requires the coordinated interaction of scientists with diverse backgrounds. To address this need, an Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in Genomics was established at the University of Arizona five years ago. In recognition of the changing directions of the field, four new activities will take place in this renewal: (1) a lecture and computer laboratory course on comparative genomics, in which all students will learn the foundations of genomics including the skills to participate in (2) a hands-on class on reserach in genomics, (3) teaching and outreach at a local science magnet high school with 70% minority enrollment, and (4) annual symposia with invited speakers from other institutions. The program will also build on existing strengths, including interdisciplinary advising, research rotations, seminars, training in ethics, discussion groups, and internships at other academic institutions or in industry. The impact of this training program will be to equip the next generation of biologists with the tools to tackle the challenges of genome-scale research. This program to date has been highly successful, having trained Ph.D. students in 37 labs from 14 departments at the University of Arizona. A key new component of the renewal is the plan to involve IGERT students in high school science education. This will bring science in general, and genomics in particular, to a wider community, and will encourage minority students to enter careers in science at an early stage of their education. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.