Conference: Biology in the Age of Gene Editing: New Tools and Novel Insights into Organismal Biology and the Neural Basis of Behavior

基因组革命开启了生物学研究的新纪元。不仅对人类和传统的实验动物模型如老鼠和果蝇进行了基因组测序，而且还对数千种不同的生物进行了基因组测序。然而，为了将这些数据转化为对基因如何发挥作用的深入理解，科学家需要在新测序的物种中操纵这些基因的能力。近年来，在这些物种中的几个物种中，基因组编辑的技术取得了戏剧性的进步，使直接测试成为可能。2023年1月，在德克萨斯州奥斯汀的综合生物学学会(SICB)举行的由NSF资助的研讨会将聚焦于对不同物种的研究，以揭示生物功能的新原理。提出的工作旨在通过聚集基因编辑专家向其他物种传授他们的方法来加速这些工具在更多物种中的开发。使用CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑等工具，演讲者已经修改了从水母到哺乳动物以及介于两者之间的许多物种的基因组。研究SICB上代表的许多独特的模式生物可能会产生广泛的影响，包括变革性的知识进步，对生态重要物种的理解，或医学见解。这次研讨会将有助于使许多物种的基因编辑工具大众化，并增进对基本生物学原理的了解。基因操作的出现使人们能够对控制生物过程的遗传机制有令人难以置信的洞察。然而，它也促进了对有限数量物种(如果蝇、老鼠、斑马鱼、线虫)的研究的巩固。因此，对物种间各种进化适应的遗传调控一直在机械论层面上进行了深入研究。尤其是CRISPR/CAS基因组编辑的发展，使可以进行遗传实验的物种数量得以扩大。在利用基因编辑物种以传统模式生物无法达到的方式理解生物生物学方面取得了一些进展。这次研讨会的目标是促进将这些技术应用于新模式生物体的研究人员向希望将这些方法应用到他们自己的研究计划中的科学家转移知识和技能。在2023年综合与比较生物学学会(SICB)会议上的研讨会，将以演讲、讨论和研讨会为特色。演讲者(他们涵盖了机构类型、地点、性别和不同的职业阶段)修改了从水母到哺乳动物的各种物种，以及介于两者之间的许多物种。还将举办一次教育活动，专题讨论会的发言者提供小组协商和小组讨论。为了传播这项工作，所有演讲者都同意发表在SICB上提交的综合和比较生物学的数据。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The genomic revolution has ushered in a new era of biological research. Genomes have been sequenced for not only humans and traditional laboratory animal models such as mice and fruit flies, but thousands of diverse organisms. However, to turn this data into a deep understanding of how genes function, scientists need the ability to manipulate these genes in the newly sequenced species. Recent years have seen dramatic technological improvements to genome editing in several of these species, enabling direct tests. An NSF-funded symposium at the Society for Integrative Biology (SICB) in Austin, TX in January 2023 will shine a spotlight on research in diverse species to reveal new principles of biological function. Work presented aims to accelerate development of these tools in additional species by gathering gene editing experts to teach their methods to others. Using tools like CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, speakers have modified the genomes of species from jellyfish to mammals and many species in between. Studying many of the unique model organisms represented at SICB may have broad impacts including transformative knowledge advances, an understanding of ecologically important species, or medical insights. This symposium will help democratize gene editing tools to many species and advance knowledge of fundamental biological principles. The advent of genetic manipulations has enabled incredible insights into genetic mechanisms that control biological processes. However, it has also promoted the consolidation of research into a limited number of species (eg, fruit fly, mouse, zebrafish, C. elegans). As a result, the genetic regulation of a tremendous variety of evolutionary adaptations across species have been understudied at a mechanistic level. The development of CRISPR/Cas genome editing, in particular, enables an expansion of the number of species in which genetic experiments can be performed. Some progress has been made in using gene-edited species to understand organismal biology in ways inaccessible with traditional model organisms. The goal of this symposium is to catalyze the transfer of knowledge and skills from researchers who have applied these technologies in new model organisms to scientists who would like to bring these approaches to their own research programs. A symposium at the 2023 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) conference, which will feature talks, discussions, and a workshop. The speakers (who span institution types, locations, genders, along a spectrum of career stages) have modified species from jellyfish to mammals and many species in between. There will also be an educational event in which speakers from the symposium provide small-group consultations plus a panel discussion. To disseminate this work, all speakers have agreed to publish data presented at SICB in Integrative and Comparative Biology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.