United States Workshop on Rice Genomic Sequencing held on April 8, 1998 at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC

国际水稻基因组测序倡议已经成立，以促进水稻基因组DNA测序方面的合作。拟议的研讨会将讨论美国对这一倡议的反应。水稻作为禾本科的一员和农作物，其基因组序列可以为植物生物学的重要方面提供丰富的基础信息。水稻是研究产量、杂种优势、单基因和多基因抗病性的模型。从热带洪水到温带旱地，不同的水稻品种适应各种各样的环境条件，因此它是真实的生命适应性反应的模型。因为水稻共享共线性基因组，所以水稻是了解其他禾本科植物基因组结构的关键。比较双子叶植物拟南芥和模式单子叶植物水稻的基因组序列，可以告诉我们这两类被子植物的基因组结构有什么共同点，又有什么不同。拟议的研讨会的目的是促进和协调美国与国际水稻基因组测序倡议在水稻基因组测序方面的活动。将讨论的议题包括：1）向有关各方通报代表国际倡议作出的决定，并为所有对水稻测序感兴趣的各方提供一个公平的竞争环境。2)计划美国的反应。3)参与并帮助美国资助机构规划其活动。

The International Rice Genome Sequencing Initiative has been formed to promote collaboration in sequencing rice genomic DNA. The proposed workshop will address the U.S. response to this initiative. As a member of the Graminae and a crop plant, a wealth of fundamental information about important aspects of plant biology can be learned from the genomic sequence of rice. Rice is a model for learning about yield, hybrid vigor, single and multigenic disease resistance. Different races of rice are adapted to a wide variety of environmental situations, from tropical flooding to temperate dry land, so it is a model for real life adaptive responses. Because it shares colinear genomes, rice is a key to knowledge of the genomic organization of the other grasses. Comparison of the sequence of the dicot, Arabidopsis thaliana, with that of rice, a model monocot, will tell us what genomic structures these two different groups of angiosperms have in common and how they differ. The purpose of the proposed workshop is to promote and coordinate U.S. activities in rice genomic sequencing with the International Rice Genome Sequencing Initiative. Topics to be discussed would include: 1) Inform interested parties about decisions taken on behalf of the International Initiative and to provide a level playing field for all parties interested in rice sequencing. 2) Plan U.S. response. 3) Engage and help U.S. funding agencies in planning their activities.