Next Steps for Functional Genomics: A Workshop

该奖项是为了支持美国国家科学院举办的一个研讨会，该研讨会讨论了促进功能基因组学研究的目标、战略和技术需求，这些研究将有助于促进基础知识的发展，并将其转化为造福社会的应用，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的专家和其他人的信息和想法。讲习班参与者主要代表生物科学，并有来自与基因相关的环境科学、生物信息学和数据科学以及其他相关社区的补充意见。研讨会将阐述该科学的现状、迄今已吸取的经验教训、取得进一步进展的障碍以及可在哪些领域增加投资以帮助推动该领域向前发展。研讨会的陈述和讨论将被记录在由报告员(S)根据国家科学院指南撰写的会议记录报告中。自2001年发布人类基因组第一稿以来，来自生命树所有分支的数百种生物的基因组已经被测序。这些基因序列的可获得性，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。尽管这些基因组信息很有价值，但到目前为止，还没有广泛的系统性努力来了解已产生的许多序列中基因的功能。因此，基因序列在基础科学、保育、进化研究、农业、能源、国防、人类健康等领域的应用价值尚未实现。这个项目代表着朝着建立了解基因功能的新方法的方向迈出了一步。研讨会将促进高级别讨论，以确定NSF可以支持哪些额外研究来解决功能基因组学的科学未知问题，并开发必要的工具和基础设施，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？推动科学发展的下一步是什么？根据基因类型预测表型的能力能否围绕一套表征生物系统的原则找到共同点？这些都是生命科学未来最重要的问题之一。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.