Establishing a Network of Skilled BD2K Practitioners: The Summer Workshop on Population-Scale Genomic Studies of Environmental Stress

 描述(申请人提供)：高通量技术在生物医学研究中的应用已经变得广泛，需要专门的技能来有效地设计实验，分析大型数据集，并将新数据与现有的大型数据集相结合。这些技术越来越多地被应用于环境健康科学，以提供关于环境如何影响人类健康的全面和及时的机械知识。随着这些技术的应用越来越多，更多的研究人员需要培训，以概念性地开发、适当设计和实施全面的大规模大数据研究。因此，我们提出的人口规模环境压力基因组研究计划的长期目标是培训大数据到知识网络(BD2K)从业人员应用现代测序技术、计算方法和生物统计方法。该计划将三个年度培训研讨会与网络工具结合在一起，旨在保持参与者的培训、参与和联系。讲习班将配备一批杰出的研究人员，以提供最大限度地应用这些技术所需的培训。每个研讨会将以参与者创建和分析的模式生物的新颖数据集为特色，以将基因-环境相互作用与个体的适应能力联系起来。将提供一些生物信息学工具的实践培训。 在这个以探究为基础的框架内，教师将讲授一系列不同的主题，包括生态基因组学、实验设计、基因组测序和种群遗传学。讲习班将包括一个关于负责任地进行研究的单元。拟议的计划建立在我们在MDI生物实验室现有的环境基因组学课程的基础上，该课程于2010年首次设立。据我们所知，这是美国唯一一门为有兴趣利用自然种群研究基因与环境相互作用的研究人员提供高度互动的动手研究体验的同类课程。拟议的研讨会培训以我们2014年的环境基因组学课程为蓝本，为建立训练有素的BD2K从业者网络奠定了基础。拟议的BD2K从业者网络将确保项目参与者的长期利益，特别是在这个快速变化的领域出现新技术和分析方法的情况下。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The application of high-throughput technologies in biomedical research has become widespread and requires specialized skills to effectively design experiments analyze large datasets and integrate new data with existing large datasets. These technologies are increasingly being applied in environmental health sciences to provide comprehensive and timely mechanistic knowledge on how the environment affects human health. With the increased application of these technologies, more researchers need training to conceptually develop, properly design and implement comprehensive, large-scale big data studies. Accordingly, our proposed program in Population-Scale Genomics Studies of Environmental Stress has the long-term goal of training a network of Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) practitioners in the application of modern sequencing technologies, computational approaches and biostatistical methods. The program couples three annual training workshops with networking tools aimed at keeping participants trained, engaged and connected. Workshops will feature a faculty of prominent researchers to provide the training necessary to maximize the application of these technologies. Each workshop will feature novel datasets of model organisms that participants create and analyze to link gene-environment interactions with the fitness of individuals. Hands-on training in a number of bioinformatics tools will be provided. Within this inquiry-based framework, faculty will lecture on a diverse set of topics including ecological genomics, experimental design, genome sequencing and population genetics. Workshops will include a module on responsible conduct of research. The proposed program builds upon our existing Environmental Genomics Course at MDI Biological Laboratory that was first established in 2010. To our knowledge, it is the only course of its kind in the U.S. that provides a highly interactive, hands-on research experience for researchers interested in studying gene-environment interactions using natural populations. The proposed workshop training is modeled after our 2014 Environmental Genomics Course and forms the foundation with which to build a network of expertly trained BD2K practitioners. The proposed BD2K practitioner network will ensure long-term benefits for program participants especially as new technologies and analysis methods arise in this rapidly changing field.