Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2004

这项行动为2004财政年度NSF少数民族博士后研究奖学金提供资金。该研究金的目标是增加少数群体科学家在博士后一级的参与，并使他们为在学术界和工业界担任科学领导职务做好准备。为了实现这一目标，奖学金提供了最高质量的博士后培训和研究的机会，以最近的博士获奖者。 预计通过这些研究金资助的研究员将在培训未来的劳动力方面发挥重要作用。研究和培训计划的标题是“利用秀丽隐杆线虫在胚胎发生中进行DNA复制的功能基因组方法”。“为了鉴定基本细胞过程所必需的基因，RNA干扰（RNAi）被用于C。elegans来鉴定和研究胚胎致死基因。 在同一过程中发挥功能的基因通常基于共享的表型聚集在一起，从而促进对该簇中发现的新基因的功能预测。 早期胚胎表型正在使用延时成像记录，显示相似表型的基因将被放入假定的功能组中。 为了验证基于表型的聚类可以准确预测基因功能的想法，将研究假设在DNA复制中起作用的新基因。 培训目标是使用功能基因组学工具获得这一基本细胞过程的系统级视图。 这将为在教学和研究机构建立独立的研究计划奠定基础。

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2004. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in academia and industry. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.The research and training plan is entitled "Functional genomic approach to DNA replication in embryogenesis using Caenorhabditis elegans." To identify genes essential for basic cellular processes, RNA interference (RNAi) is being used in C. elegans to identify and study embryonic lethal genes. Genes that function in the same process often cluster together on the basis of shared phenotypes, facilitating functional prediction for novel genes found in that cluster. Early embryonic phenotypes are being recorded using time-lapse imaging and genes that show similar phenotypes will be placed into putative functional groups. To test the idea that phenotype-based clustering can accurately predict gene function, new genes hypothesized to act in DNA replication will be studied. The training goals are to obtain a systems-level view of this fundamental cellular process using tools of functional genomics. This will lay the foundation for establishing an independent research program at a teaching and research institution.