RCN: Mid-Atlantic Research Network for Synthetic Biology

RCN：中大西洋合成生物学研究网络

• 批准号: 2035050
• 负责人: Keith Kozminski
• 金额: $ 51.11万
• 依托单位: University of Virginia Main Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-04-01 至 2025-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2035050&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RCN; Mid; Atlantic; Research; Network

The overall goal of this project is the creation of a research network in the Mid-Atlantic region (MD, DE, VA, NC, SC, and GA), focused on enhancing the productivity, sustainability, and resilience of water and agricultural-based resources. These entwined resources are of economic importance ( $12 billion annually) and provide food and water security. A field of research that is proving increasingly relevant to protecting and enhancing these resources is synthetic biology. This field of scientific study is a joint application of science, technology, and engineering that manipulates cells to be used as tools to, for example, detect or mitigate biological or chemical threats in the environment. Such research already exists in the Mid-Atlantic region at academic institutions, in the private sector, and government laboratories. However, this research often occurs in isolation nor is it drawn collectively toward solving region-level challenges. This project is bringing regional research entities into a community to determine how synthetic biology in particular can be leveraged to enhance and protect agricultural and water resources. Alongside accelerating research by making expertise and resources known and shared efficiently, this project is developing a STEM workforce as well as entrepreneurship opportunities to accelerate regional economic development. This project represents the first phase in the development of a coordinated synthetic biology-enabled research network in the Mid-Atlantic region.To build an evolvable, regional, synthetic biology-based research network, this project is bringing together new groups of investigators and shareable resources by investing in the development of institutional and regional web portals, regional research symposia and theme meetings to determine how synthetic biology can be leveraged to enhance and protect agricultural and water-based resources. The network also provides travel awards to catalyze new collaborative research among investigators, as well as STEM workforce and entrepreneurial development planning. In all of these network-forming activities, the participation of students, trainees, early career individuals, and under-represented groups is a priority. Coordination of this network is managed by an Executive Committee, composed of members from across the region.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.

该项目的总体目标是在大西洋中部地区(MD、DE、VA、NC、SC和GA)建立一个研究网络，侧重于提高水资源和农业资源的生产力、可持续性和复原力。这些相互交织的资源具有重要的经济意义(每年120亿美元)，并提供粮食和水安全。事实证明，与保护和加强这些资源越来越相关的一个研究领域是合成生物学。这一科学研究领域是科学、技术和工程的联合应用，它操纵细胞作为工具，例如，检测或减轻环境中的生物或化学威胁。这种研究已经存在于大西洋中部地区的学术机构、私营部门和政府实验室。然而，这项研究往往是孤立进行的，也不是为了共同解决区域层面的挑战而进行的。该项目正在将区域研究实体纳入一个社区，以确定如何特别利用合成生物学来加强和保护农业和水资源。除了通过有效地公布和共享专业知识和资源来加速研究之外，该项目还在发展STEM劳动力和创业机会，以加速区域经济发展。该项目是在大西洋中部地区建立一个由合成生物学支持的协调研究网络的第一阶段。为了建立一个可进化的、区域性的、以合成生物学为基础的研究网络，该项目通过投资开发机构和区域门户网站、区域研究座谈会和主题会议，将新的研究人员群体和可共享的资源聚集在一起，以确定如何利用合成生物学来加强和保护农业和水资源。该网络还提供旅行奖励，以促进研究人员之间的新的合作研究，以及STEM劳动力和创业发展规划。在所有这些网络形成活动中，学生、实习生、职业生涯初期的个人和代表性不足的群体的参与是优先事项。这个网络的协调由一个执行委员会管理，执行委员会由来自该地区的成员组成。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。