Songbird Neurogenomics Initiative

描述（由申请人提供）：鸣禽提供了与人类健康和疾病相关的基础神经科学研究的宝贵机会。Songbird神经基因组学（SoNG）计划旨在通过在基因组学和生物信息学领域积极的、社区层面的新兴技术应用来推进这一目标。在之前的一段时间里，已经创建了4万多个鸣禽大脑中表达基因的标签（表达序列标签，ESTs），并由此产生了用于基因表达研究的DNA微阵列。20个不同的研究小组提交了使用这些微阵列进行实验的提案。现在的首要目标是贯彻执行这些建议。它们共同解决了关于大脑和基因组之间功能关系的广泛基础研究问题。超过800个大脑样本将被微阵列分析，遵循一种新的“社区合作”模式，即每个研究小组向伊利诺斯州的合作核心提供大脑样本（严格记录），核心执行从RNA纯化到微阵列分析的所有后续步骤。使用共同的参考样本和技术，可以直接比较所有实验的结果表达数据。为了便于分析结果和共享数据，将在美国国立卫生研究院支持的“蜂巢”项目基础上开发一套基于网络的综合数据库、生物信息学和统计资源。基因组信息将通过额外的EST生产，基因组浏览器轨道的开发以及改进的下一代微阵列的创建进一步增强。然后，这些资源将被集中用于完成对歌曲学习关键大脑区域的深度描述，评估它们与其他区域的比较，包括与人类大脑部分相对应的大脑区域（如听觉皮层和控制语言产生的皮质区域）。将举行一系列社区会议，以提高对这些工具和数据的认识和使用，并将注意力集中在鸣禽神经基因组学的“下一个前沿”上。鸣禽的大脑对人类神经科学非常感兴趣，因为它显示出与学习、适应、性别差异和声音交流有关的不同寻常的组织水平。最先在鸣禽身上发现的基本原理也适用于人类。此外，这里的方法可以作为在社区规模上进行科学研究的一个模型，包括个人的主动性，但协调努力以实现更大的协同作用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Songbirds offer valuable opportunities for fundamental neuroscience research relevant to human health and disease. The Songbird Neurogenomics (SoNG) Initiative aims to advance this by aggressive, community-level application of emerging technologies in genomics and bioinformatics. In the previous period, more than 40,000 tags for genes expressed in songbird brain (Expressed Sequence Tags, ESTs) were created, from which a DNA microarray was produced for gene expression studies. 20 different research groups submitted proposals for experiments using these microarrays. The first aim now is to follow through with execution of these proposals. Collectively they address a broad range of fundamental research questions about functional relationships between brain and genome. More than 800 brain samples will be analyzed by microarray, following a novel "Community Collaboration" model whereby each individual research group provides brain samples (rigorously documented) to a collaborating core at Illinois, and the core executes all subsequent steps from RNA purification through microarray analysis. With common reference samples and techniques, the resulting expression data can be compared directly across all experiments. To facilitate analysis of results and sharing of data, an integrated, web-based suite of database, bioinformatics and statistical resources will be developed based on the NIH-supported "Beehive" project. Genomic information will be further enhanced through additional EST production, development of a Genome Browser track, and creation of an improved, next-generation microarray. These resources will then be focused to complete a deep profile of brain regions key to song learning, assessing how they compare to other regions including brain areas that correspond to parts of human brain (such as auditory cortex and cortical regions for the control of speech production). A series of community conferences will be held to promote awareness and use of these tools and data, and to focus attention on "next frontiers" for songbird neurogenomics. The songbird brain is of great interest for human neuroscience because it displays an unusual level of organization related to learning, adaptation, gender differences and vocal communication. Fundamental principles worked out first in songbirds have proven true for humans. Moreover, the approach here may serve as a model for doing science on a community scale, embracing individual initiative but coordinating efforts to achieve a larger synergy.