Award details

GARNet: adding value to Arabidopsis functional genomics funding

Reference	BB/C006658/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Andrew Millar
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr Ruth Bastow
Institution	University of Edinburgh
Department	Sch of Biological Sciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	314,370
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/02/2005
End date	31/01/2010
Duration	60 months

Abstract

Arabidopsis research in the UK is internationally competitive but the large BBSRC-funded community (greater than £20M pa) is geographically dispersed. The Genomics Arabidopsis Resource Network (GARNet) is a community-led initiative that plays a major part in providing functional genomics services and in disseminating information to promote research competitiveness. There is no other established mechanism of national co-ordination to consolidate a historic BBSRC investment of many tens of millions of pounds. Co-ordinated efforts of this community are highly effective. Such efforts created in 2003 the largest publicly accessible collection of Affymetrix data for any organism (at NASC), will shortly release the only sequence-indexed library of transformable genomic clones (from the John Innes Centre), and contributed to the only large-scale collection of inducible RNAi constructs for Arabidopsis (from the agrikola project). This proposal aims to maintain an integrated community for Arabidopsis functional genomics in the UK, at the community¿s request, during a period of potentially destabilising changes. We request funding for Dr Bastow, an outstanding young scientist with experience of international Arabidopsis research, to administer GARNet. Specifically Dr Bastow will: organise the GARNet ABC conferences (Arabidopsis, Brassica and Crops), including fundraising and liaison with other plant research communities; design, write solicit contributions and distribute a printed newsletter every 6 months, including researching all available functional genomics service providers; collate and compose material for the GARNet web site (http: garnet.arabidopsis.org.uk) also administer the site from 2006; manage the GARNet budget; liaise between committee and service providers, organise elections from 2006; undertake actions and liaison agreed with the GARNet committee; represent GARNet at national and international conferences. GARNet is particularly important for the UK Arabidopsis community. Targeted AFRC and BBSRC funding has created a new model of research organisation, using the Arabidopsis community as a leading example. The model aims to develop resource and data sharing for the long term, and thus to gain best value from UK funding and to attract international funding. The UK Arabidopsis community cannot compete for funding effectively, if our coordination is removed when funding models depend increasingly upon coordination. As the world Arabidopsis community moves to enforce unified standards for genomics and to foster international collaborations, the need for a single, easily identifiable information point in the UK is paramount. UK scientists have leading roles in international Arabidopsis research. Participation in large-scale projects in functional genomics is often highly cost-effective and increases the UK¿s research profile. GARNet¿s established organisation allows the UK community to take best advantage of international opportunities as they arise, and to mobilise UK resources to enhance joint international projects. In the national context, GARNet will promote knowledge transfer between model plants and crops, which is emphasised in the BBSRC crop science review. Co-ordinators are proposed for the crop science communities. The crop co-ordinators will promote transfer from models to crops far more effectively if they can call upon GARNet as a central point of expert information, rather than dealing with haphazard contacts among an Arabidopsis community that lacks such coordination. Future GARNet meetings will include both Brassica and other crops, and the new, printed newsletter will disseminate resource and method information for species other than Arabidopsis, again at the Arabidopsis community¿s request. The Arabidopsis community will benefit strongly from increased awareness of the crop research priorities, by exposure to more diverse plant research and by developing contacts with other stakeholders.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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