PFI: Scaling a New Adaptive Peak for Cotton

这个创新合作伙伴关系（PFI）项目是一个II型（A：B）之间的合作伙伴关系格鲁吉亚（UGA），NSF PFI毕业生（0125304），和得克萨斯理工大学，其中目前的项目团队和业务的成员之一被安置在另一个NSF支持的合作伙伴关系计划下进行的研究：植物基因组研究项目在生物基础设施的司（9872630）。 为了实现美国领导全球向生物基产品过渡的愿景，项目团队寻求开发和实施基因组使能工具，以重振棉花基因库的遗传多样性，为满足生产者、加工者和消费者的需求提供环境友好的解决方案。棉花基因组测序正在迅速进行，拟议项目的基本原理是，棉花社区面临的最大挑战是将序列转化为知识。虽然通过与植物模型的比较可以推断出大约一半的棉花基因的功能，但棉花基因组比植物模型更复杂，需要大量新的投资才能实现其测序的潜在好处。大约20年前，格鲁吉亚州就认识到，企业和工业的成功需要基础研究与商业化之间的密切联系，因此，该州已做好准备，通过商业化的各个阶段，培育基础研究成果所催生的新企业。该项目的合作伙伴网络将是使资源持续转化为经济效益的关键。预计这种转变将至少沿着三条途径沿着发生：（1）新的企业为生物基产品增加价值，扩大区域创业机会并使其多样化;（2）通过与公共研究人员合作，作为虚拟研发资源，为企业赋权，以确定和获取价值;（3）提高棉花科学的水平和质量，&这是加强公共部门研究能力的结果。为了更充分地满足国家创新企业的广泛劳动力需求，项目团队将与4-H和美国未来农民（FFA）等有效的外联网络合作，通过利用这些工具所需的培训，培养本土专业人员的职业发展，同时保持这些人与长期以来一直受到人才流失伤害的农村社区的联系。拟议的活动与强有力的培训和推广计划密切相关，这些计划在吸引科学界代表性不足的群体方面有着悠久的历史，并受益于机构和州一级的重大承诺。私营部门组织：植物生物技术研究联合会;棉花公司和格鲁吉亚研究联盟;和州和地方政府机构：格鲁吉亚农业综合企业委员会，格鲁吉亚传统产业计划和一个格鲁吉亚管理局。

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project is a Type II (A:B) partnership between The University of Georgia (UGA), a NSF PFI graduate (0125304), and Texas Tech University, where one of the members of the current project team and operations were housed for research conducted under another NSF-supported partnership program: Plant Genome Research Project in the Division of Biological Infrastructure (9872630). In the pursuit of a vision of U.S. leadership for a global transition to bio-based products, the project team seeks to develop and implement genomic enabling tools needed to reinvigorate the infusion of genetic diversity into the cotton gene pool, providing environmentally benign solutions to the needs of producers, processors, and consumers. Cotton genome sequencing is proceeding rapidly, and the rationale for the proposed project is that the greatest challenge facing the cotton community is the conversion of sequence to knowledge. While the functions of perhaps half of the cotton genes can be deduced from comparison to botanical models, the greater complexity of the cotton genome than those of botanical models will require much new investment to realize the potential benefits of its sequencing. The state of Georgia recognized about two decades ago that success of businesses and industries demanded close ties between basic research and commercialization, and has positioned itself well to nurture new ventures spawned by basic research findings through the various stages of commercialization. The network of partners on the project will be key to sustained transformation of enabling resources into economic benefits. This transformation is expected to occur along at least three avenues: (1) New ventures to add value to bio-based products, expanding and diversifying regional entrepreneurial opportunities; (2) Empowering businesses by partnering with public researchers as a virtual R&D resource to identify and capture value, and (3) Elevating the level and quality of science that can be done in cotton, as a result of strengthening public-sector research capacity. To more fully meet the broad workforce needs of the national innovation enterprise, the project team will partner with effective outreach networks such as 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) to nurture the career development of home-grown professionals with the training needed to exploit these tools, while preserving the links of these individuals to rural communities that have long been casualties of brain drain. The proposed activities are closely-tied to strong training and outreach programs with a strong history of engaging groups under-represented in the sciences, and which benefit from major commitments at the institutional and state level.Partners at the inception of the project are Academic Institutions: The University of Georgia (lead institution) and Texas Tech University; Private Sector Organizations: The Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research, Inc.; Cotton, Inc.; and The Georgia Research Alliance; and State and Local Government Agencies: The Georgia Agribusiness Council, The Georgia Traditional Industries Program, and The OneGeorgia Authority.