Next Steps for Functional Genomics: A Workshop

该奖项旨在支持美国国家科学院召开的研讨会，讨论促进功能基因组学研究的目标，战略和技术需求，这将有助于基础知识的进步及其转化为有益于社会的应用，例如，保护、进化研究、农业、能源、国防、人类健康和其他部门。讲习班借鉴了这一领域和其他领域专家的信息和想法。研讨会的参与者主要代表生物科学，并从基因组相关的环境科学，生物信息学和数据科学，以及其他相关社区的额外投入。研讨会将描述科学的现状，迄今为止学到的经验教训，进一步取得进展的障碍，以及额外投资可以帮助推动该领域向前发展的领域。讲习班的发言和讨论将记录在一份会议记录报告中，该报告由特别报告员根据国家科学院的指导方针撰写。自2001年人类基因组第一份草图发布以来，来自生命之树所有分支的数百种生物体的基因组已被测序。这些基因序列的可用性，以及各种新技术，提供了在全基因组水平上研究基因，转录本，蛋白质及其相互作用的能力。虽然这些基因组信息具有很大的价值，但迄今为止还没有广泛的系统性努力来理解已产生的许多序列中基因的功能。因此，基因序列应用于基础科学、保护、进化研究、农业、能源、国防、人类健康和其他部门的价值尚未实现。该项目代表了在建立新方法来理解基因功能的方向上迈出的一步。该研讨会将促进高级别讨论，以确定NSF可以支持的额外研究的新思路，以解决功能基因组学的科学未知问题，并开发所需的工具和基础设施，以更好地将基因发现与基因功能的理解联系起来。挑战和机遇是什么？推进科学的下一步是什么？从基因型预测表型的能力能否在一套表征生物系统的原则周围找到共同点？这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is to support a workshop convened by the National Academy of Sciences to discuss goals, strategies, and technical needs to facilitate research in functional genomics that will contribute to the advancement of basic knowledge and its translation into applications that would benefit society, e.g., conservation, evolutionary studies, agriculture, energy, defense, human health, and other sectors. The workshop draws on information and ideas from experts in this field and others. Workshop participants represent, primarily, the biological sciences, with additional input from genomically-relevant environmental sciences, bioinformatics and data science, and other pertinent communities. The workshop will delineate the current state of the science, what lessons have been learned thus far, what impediments there are to further progress, and areas where additional investments could help move the field forward. The workshop presentations and discussions will be documented in a proceedings report authored by rapporteur(s) in accordance with National Academies guidelines.Since the release of the first draft of the human genome in 2001, the genomes of hundreds of organisms from all branches of the tree of life have been sequenced. The availability of these gene sequences, as well as a variety of new technologies, provide the ability to study genes, transcripts, proteins, and their interactions on a genome-wide level. Although this genomic information is of great value, there has been no broad systematic effort to understand the function of genes in the many sequences that have been generated as yet. Thus, the value of the gene sequences for application to basic science, conservation, evolutionary studies, agriculture, energy, defense, human health, and other sectors has not yet been realized. This project represents a step in the direction of establishing new approaches to understanding gene function. The workshop will foster a high-level discussion to identify new ideas on what additional research NSF can support to tackle the scientific unknowns of functional genomics and develop the needed tools and infrastructure to better connect gene discovery to an understanding of gene function. What are the challenges and opportunities and what are the next steps to advance the science? Could the ability to predict phenotypes from genotypes find common ground around a set of principles that characterize biological systems? These are among the most significant questions for the future of the life sciences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.