Meeting on Transformation-Enabled Genomic Research in Crop Plants to be held November 15-18, 2015 at the Holiday Inn, Clearwater Beach (FL)

PI：Fredy Altpeter（佛罗里达大学）Co-PI：Nathan Springer（明尼苏达大学）; C. Neal Stewart（田纳西大学）该研讨会汇集了一批不同的科学家，探索植物功能基因组学关键瓶颈的解决方案。DNA测序本身不再是基因组学的挑战。相反，障碍是如何理解基因功能，这最终需要廉价、快速和有效地改变或替换每个基因。 目前，这种能力在过去十年中没有任何改善，并且已被植物基因组学研究界确定为进一步发现基因功能的瓶颈。 该研讨会将确定知识，培训和工具方面的差距，以提高通过添加或删除植物细胞中的DNA来编辑基因组的能力。 研讨会的参与者将讨论有关所涉及的科学的性质和需要克服的技术问题，讨论科学如何向前发展，并探讨如何扩大参与。指导委员会将把社区推动的想法整理成一份指导性文件，即白色文件，作为未来行动的路线图，并将发表以广泛传播。敲除或过表达基因的能力仍然是验证基因功能的黄金标准。 敲除可以通过诱变或转座子或T-DNA标记随机获得，但该过程效率低下。 或者，可以通过RNAi技术针对正在研究的基因进行敲除。 最近，CRISPR/Cas9技术的出现使靶向基因修饰变得非常有效。 然而，植物组织培养，遗传转化和再生仍然是必要的，这些领域在过去十年中几乎没有研究。 因此，基因组学的进展受到阻碍。 因此，研讨会参与者将1）清点最新技术水平（效率），目前的能力，以及研究界对转化技术的需求; 2）评估研究和资助战略，以满足当前和未来的需求，包括建立集中设施的可能性; 3）评估已知的生物转化和确定知识差距; 4）评估用于转化的替代技术，包括纳米技术的潜力和将最大限度地减少或最终避免使用组织培养来转化作物植物的战略。其结果将是一个资助优先事项的路线图，包括那些需要立即解决的研究问题和那些需要较长时间才能实现的问题。该路线图将发表在一份开放获取的参考期刊上。

PI: Fredy Altpeter (University of Florida)Co-PIs: Nathan Springer (University of Minnesota); C. Neal Stewart (University of Tennessee)The workshop brings together a diverse group of scientists to explore solutions to a critical bottleneck in plant functional genomics. DNA sequencing itself is no longer a challenge in genomics. Instead, the roadblock is how to understand gene function, which ultimately requires that each gene be altered or replaced cheaply, quickly and efficiently. At the present time, such ability has not seen any improvements over the past decade, and has been identified as a crushing bottleneck to further discoveries of gene function by the plant genomics research community. This workshop will identify gaps in knowledge, training and tools needed to advance the ability to edit genomes by adding or removing DNA from plant cells. Workshop participants will discuss over-arching questions about the nature of the science involved and the technical problems to overcome, discuss how the science can move forward, and explore how to broaden participation. The steering committee will collate the community-driven ideas into a guiding document, or white paper, which will serve as the roadmap for future actions, and which will be published for wide dissemination.The ability to knock out or overexpress genes remains the gold standard for the validation of gene function. Knockouts could be obtained at random from mutagenesis or from transposon or T-DNA tagging, but the process is inefficient. Alternatively, knockouts can be directed towards the gene being studied via RNAi technology. Recently the advent of CRISPR/Cas9 technology has made targeted gene modification very efficient. However, plant tissue culture, genetic transformation, and regeneration are still needed, and these areas have had little research over the past decade. As a consequence, advances in genomics are being hindered. Accordingly, workshop participants will 1) Inventory the state of the art (efficiency), current capacity, and the research community's needs for transformation technologies; 2) Evaluate research and funding strategies to meet current and future needs, including the possibility of establishing centralized facilities; 3) Evaluate what is known about the biology of transformation and identify knowledge gaps; and 4) Evaluate alternative technologies for transformation, including the potential of nanotechnology and strategies that will minimize or ultimately avoid the use of tissue culture for transformation of crop plants. The result will be a roadmap of funding priorities, including those research problems that require immediate solutions and those that require longer time frames to bring to fruition. The roadmap will be published in an open-access, refereed journal.