PFI: Scaling a New Adaptive Peak for Cotton

该创新伙伴关系项目是乔治亚大学和德克萨斯理工大学之间的第二类(A：B)合作伙伴关系，乔治亚大学是美国国家科学基金会创新伙伴关系的毕业生(0125304)，德克萨斯理工大学目前的项目团队和运营人员之一被安置在那里进行另一项由美国国家科学基金会资助的合作计划下的研究：生物基础设施部植物基因组研究项目(9872630)。在追求美国领导全球向生物产品过渡的愿景中，该项目团队寻求开发和实施必要的基因组使能工具，以重振棉花基因库中的遗传多样性，为生产者、加工商和消费者的需求提供环境友好的解决方案。棉花基因组测序进展迅速，提出的项目的基本原理是，棉花社区面临的最大挑战是将序列转化为知识。虽然可能有一半棉花基因的功能可以通过与植物学模型的比较来推断，但棉花基因组比植物学模型更复杂，需要大量新的投资才能实现其测序的潜在好处。佐治亚州在大约20年前认识到，企业和工业的成功需要基础研究和商业化之间的密切联系，并已做好充分准备，在商业化的各个阶段培育基础研究成果催生的新企业。该项目的合作伙伴网络将是将扶持资源持续转化为经济效益的关键。这一转变预计将至少通过三个途径实现：(1)开展新的风险投资，增加生物产品的价值，扩大和多样化区域创业机会；(2)通过与公共研究人员合作，作为确定和获取价值的虚拟研发资源，增强企业的能力；以及(3)通过加强公共部门的研究能力，提高可以在棉花上完成的科学水平和质量。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)等有效的外展网络合作，通过利用这些工具所需的培训，促进本土专业人员的职业发展，同时保留这些人与长期受到人才流失影响的农村社区的联系。拟议的活动与强大的培训和推广计划密切相关，这些计划有吸引科学界代表性不足的群体的良好历史，并受益于机构和州一级的重大承诺。项目开始时的合作伙伴是：学术机构：佐治亚大学(牵头机构)和德克萨斯理工大学；私营部门组织：植物生物技术研究联盟；科顿公司；佐治亚州研究联盟；以及州和地方政府机构：佐治亚州农业商业委员会、佐治亚州传统工业计划和佐治亚州政府机构。

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.