RCN: A Network to Promote Comparative Genome to Phenome Analysis

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Understanding the relationship between an organism's DNA (the genome) and the set of phenotypic characteristics that result from genomic expression (the phenome) is a central challenge in biology. High throughput sequencing and phenotypic data from multiple species provides an opportunity for comparative analysis of genome to phenome data. The objective of this award is to develop a Genome to Phenome Network (G2PN) Research Collaboration Network (RCN) aimed at promoting comparative analysis of vertebrate and invertebrate animals to enrich our understanding of the relationship between genomes and phenomes. The G2PN will bring together groups using diverse experimental approaches to understand how the genome ultimately manifests the phenome. The G2PN will provide tools necessary for scientists to exploit comparative genomics approaches to understand genome to phenome relationships. In addition, the activities of the G2PN will provide training for undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the science of comparative biology and genome to phenome relationships. Participation of researchers from universities and colleges serving historically underrepresented groups will be particularly encouraged. The G2PN will also generate educational modules to further enhance student training in G2P concepts. All of the resources developed by the G2PN will be freely available to the scientific community, communicated at scientific meetings, and published in peer-reviewed journals.A major objective of the G2PN will be to encourage researchers to leave their silos and develop collaborative teams that will exploit comparative approaches to enhance our understanding of genome to phenome relationships. The G2PN RCN goals include: Establishing an international G2PN with scientists studying a diverse range of animals; G2PN activities that will directly foster the development of comparative studies by promoting standardization of experimental approaches, data and metadata collection and bioinformatic analyses; promoting new collaborations and proposals among scientists from different specialties through international meetings, web sites, publications and social media; and promoting understanding of comparative genomic studies through the development of training modules using diverse educational modalities. Ultimately, this RCN will improve our understanding of the relationships between selective pressures, genomic changes and phenotypic outcomes. The standards developed by this RCN will find applicability far beyond the science directly affected by the G2P network. These standards will facilitate laboratory work and data comparability across a broad range of species and studies.