Coordination of the Multinational Arabidopsis Thaliana Functional Genomics Project

2000年，“多国协调拟南芥基因组研究计划长期计划”国际合作圆满结束，拟南芥基因组序列公布。这标志着第一个完整的植物基因组序列的发布，并为拟南芥的基础研究和其他物种的转化方法提供了丰富的新信息。为了利用这一新资源，跨国拟南芥功能基因组学项目于2001年启动，其主要目标是到2010年确定每个拟南芥基因的功能。该项目由跨国拟南芥指导委员会（MASC）协调，该委员会协调世界各地进行的拟南芥功能基因组学研究活动，并确保高水平的国际合作。MASC由来自不同国家的志愿者科学家组成，他们积极开展拟南芥功能研究活动。自2002年以来，我们聘请了一名全职协调员来协助MASC（和北美拟南芥指导委员会，NAASC），并促进功能基因组学项目的目标和目标的进展。该奖项为MASC协调员提供了两年的资金支持。协调员的具体职责包括：(1)作为MASC和NAASC的协调员和执行秘书；(2)与TAIR （the拟南芥信息资源）一起更新、维护和扩展MASC网站，向研究界通报各种大型活动（如突变体收集、基因组注释和本体改进、蛋白质组学、代谢组学、系统生物学方法等）；(3)帮助组织并确保对拟南芥年度研究会议（每三年在美国/北美举行两次）的支持；(4)担任MASC年度进度报告和MASC制作的其他文件的生产编辑；(5)执行外展活动并充当各种公共和私人资助机构，MASC， NAASC和研究界之间的联络点。更广泛的影响：多国协调拟南芥功能基因组项目已成为国际研究合作的典范，其特点是开放共享信息、数据和研究材料。MASC在项目的成功中发挥了关键作用。MASC协调员将为项目的持续成功做出贡献，这将最终由社区实现到2010年确定所有拟南芥基因功能的目标来衡量。建立和维护在TAIR上托管的功能基因组学网页，制作和传播年度MASC报告，向社区和公众通报正在进行的拟南芥领域的功能基因组学项目。协调员启用的互联网资源可供广泛的用户群体使用，包括资源贫乏国家的学生、学校教师和研究人员。一年一度的国际拟南芥研究会议为国际拟南芥界提供了一个重要的交流信息和突出该领域进展的平台。此外，协调员还向少数民族服务机构、传统黑人学院和大学以及1890机构中代表性不足的少数民族和科学家进行外展，以促进他们参加年度拟南芥会议。

In 2000, the international collaboration entitled the "Long-range Plan for the Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Genome Research Project" concluded successfully with the release of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome sequence. This marked the release of the first complete plant genome sequence and provided a wealth of new information to facilitate both basic research in Arabidopsis and translational approaches in other species. In order to leverage this new resource, the Multinational Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project was initiated in 2001 with the primary goal of determining a function for every Arabidopsis gene by the year 2010. The Project is coordinated by the MASC (Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee) which coordinates Arabidopsis functional genomics research activities taking place throughout the world and ensures a high level of international cooperation. The MASC comprises volunteer scientists representing various nations with active Arabidopsis functional research activities. Since 2002, a full-time coordinator has been employed to assist the MASC (and the North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee, NAASC) and facilitate progress on the goals and objectives of the Functional Genomics Project. This award provides funding to support the MASC Coordinator for two more years. The specific duties of the coordinator include: (1) Function as the Coordinator and Executive Secretary for the MASC and the NAASC, (2) Together with TAIR (The Arabidopsis Information Resource) update, maintain, and expand the MASC websites to inform the research community about various large-scale activities (e.g. mutant collections, genome annotation and ontology improvements, proteome, metabolome, systems biology approaches, etc.), (3) Help organize and secure support for the annual Arabidopsis research conference (held in the U.S./North America for two out of every three years), (4) Serve as the production editor for the annual MASC progress report and other documents that the MASC produces, and (5) Perform outreach activities and act as a contact point between various public and private funding agencies, the MASC, the NAASC, and the research community.Broader Impacts: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis Functional Genomics Project has been a model of international research collaboration characterized by open sharing of information, data and research materials. The MASC has played a key role in the success of the Project. The MASC Coordinator will contribute to the continued success of the Project which will be ultimately measured by the community reaching the goal of identifying the function of all Arabidopsis genes by the year 2010. Establishment and maintenance of functional genomics webpages hosted at TAIR and production and dissemination of the annual MASC report informs the community and the public about ongoing functional genomics projects in the Arabidopsis field. The internet resources enabled by the coordinator are made available for a broad user group including students, school teachers, and researchers in resource poor countries. The annual International Conference on Arabidopsis Research provides an important platform for the international Arabidopsis community to exchange vital information and highlight progress in the field. The Coordinator additionally performs outreach to under-represented minorities and scientists at Minority-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and 1890 Institutions to facilitate their participation in the annual Arabidopsis meetings.