Arabidopsis 2010: High-Throughput Functional Analysis of Differentiation Network Genes

纽约大学获得了一项拨款，通过使用高通量反向遗传学来研究分化细胞的基因电路，来确定一个或一组基因的基因功能。该项目的一个重要部分是开发可以预测基因组中遗传冗余的计算技术。准确的冗余预测将为设计高效的反向遗传学管道提供一个模型，以描述数百个基因的功能，并使小型实验室能够参与有重点的、高通量的表型筛选。这项研究首先针对根部分化的主要调节因素，在细胞水平上检查它们对基因表达的影响。此外，研究人员还检查了假定的下游细胞特异性靶标的功能，其中许多功能未知。因此，最终的结果将是对细胞分化中的关键枢纽及其下游靶标的作用的描述。这些回路有望在不干扰一般植物功能的情况下，在当地控制特定的植物性状。因此，它们是增强可取植物特性或减少不可取特性的极佳靶标。高通量技术的发展，以发现参与细胞分化的基因的功能，将允许从高中到研究生阶段的学生参与生物研究。将组织一门新的比较基因组学课程。此外，纽约市的高中教师将能够参加纽约大学的一个项目，该项目向他们介绍现代生物学研究。拟议中的项目与应用研究有很强的联系，这些研究可能会导致将植物改良用于农业和其他商业用途，因为它要分析的基因很可能涉及指定具有商业价值的特征。项目网站将可从国际和平协会的主页http://homepages.nyu.edu/~kdb4348/，访问，并将向公众开放，并将包含关于该项目、参与者、开发的软件和根据该奖项建立的数据库的信息。该数据库和信息将与TAIR和同样由纽约大学资助的虚拟植物项目共享，感兴趣的学术研究人员也可以免费获得。

New York University is awarded a grant to determine gene function for a network or group of genes by using high-throughput reverse genetics to investigate the gene circuitry of differentiating cells. An essential part of the project is the development of computational techniques that can predict genetic redundancy in the genome. Accurate redundancy predictions will provide a model to design efficient reverse genetics pipelines to describe the function of hundreds of genes and enable small labs to participate in focused, high-throughput phenomic screens. The study first targets master regulators of differentiation in the root, examining their influence on gene expression at the cell level. In addition, the investigators examine the function of putative downstream cell-specific targets, many of which are of unknown function. Thus, the end result will be a description of critical hubs in cellular differentiation and the role of their downstream targets. These circuits are expected to act locally to control specific plant traits without perturbing general plant functions. Thus, they are excellent targets for enhancing desirable plant traits or diminishing undesirable ones. The development of high-throughput techniques to discover the function of genes involved in cellular differentiation will allow students from the high school to graduate levels to participate in biological research. A new course in Comparative Genomics will be organized. In addition, New York City high school teachers will be able to participate in an NYU program that introduces them to modern biological research. The proposed project has strong ties to applied research that could lead to improving plants for agricultural and other commercial applications since the genes it targets for analysis are likely to be involved in specifying commercially valuable traits. The project website will be accessible from the PI's homepage at http://homepages.nyu.edu/~kdb4348/, will be open to the public, and will contain information about the project, participants, developed software, and databases built under this award. The database and information will be shared with TAIR and the VirtualPlant project also funded at NYU, and will also be freely available to interested academic researchers.