IGERT: Integrating Computational Science into Research in Biological Networks

波士顿大学生物信息学综合研究生教育和研究培训（IGERT）项目是一个非常成功的跨学科培训项目，已成为其他大学的典范。有了这个新奖项，它将把研究重点转移到生物网络上。分子生物学的研究正从根本上转向研究活细胞背后的复杂、多组分网络。这些网络根据其组件相互作用、调节特性、子网络或路径以及系统动力学进行建模。重要的例子包括：1)代谢的生化途径；2)调节基因转录的蛋白质- dna相互作用；3)细胞对激素和其他分子反应的信号通路。培训将继续强调计算和数学科学、生物学和生物化学，并将在最初一年的研究经验中纳入创新，包括高通量数据生成技术的密集湿实验室培训，以团队为导向的“大挑战”生物信息学研究项目，以及计算预测的实验室验证。通过与德国、日本和以色列合作机构的合作教师进行长期访问的学生奖学金，将培养国际视野。为了传播成功的培训方法，该计划将赞助一个国家生物信息学教育研讨会。它将通过与波士顿大学（Boston University）针对代表性不足群体的项目合作，在教师实验室提供本科生研究机会，并将开发结合数学和生物学的高中推广活动、课程和研讨会。IGERT是一项nsf范围内的计划，旨在满足教育美国博士科学家和工程师的挑战，他们具有跨学科背景，所选学科的深厚知识，以及未来职业需求所需的技术，专业和个人技能。该计划旨在通过建立创新的研究生教育和培训模式，在一个超越传统学科界限的合作研究的肥沃环境中，促进研究生教育的文化变革。

The Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in Bioinformatics at Boston University is a highly successful interdisciplinary training program that has served as a model for other universities. With this renewal award, it will shift research emphasis to focus on biological networks. Research in molecular biology is shifting fundamentally towards the study of complex, multi-component networks that underlie the living cell. These networks are modeled in terms of their component interactions, regulatory properties, sub-networks or pathways, and system dynamics. Important examples include 1) biochemical pathways of metabolism, 2) protein-DNA interactions that regulate gene transcription, and 3) signaling pathways for cellular response to hormones and other molecules. Training will continue to stress computational and mathematical sciences, biology, and biochemistry and will incorporate innovation in an initial year-long research experience to include intensive wet-lab training in high-throughput data generation techniques, a team oriented "grand challenge" bioinformatics research project, and laboratory validation of computational predictions. An international perspective will be fostered through student fellowships for extended visits with collaborating faculty at partner institutions in Germany, Japan, and Israel. To disseminate successful training methodologies, the Program will sponsor a National Bioinformatics Education Workshop. It will provide undergraduate research opportunities in faculty labs through partnership with Boston University programs targeted to underrepresented groups and it will develop high school outreach activities, curricula and workshops, combining mathematics and biology. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.