Collaborative Research: RCN: EukHiTs: Eukaryotic biodiversity research using High-Throughput Sequencing

合作研究：RCN：EukHiTs：利用高通量测序进行真核生物多样性研究

• 批准号: 1262470
• 负责人: William Thomas
• 金额: $ 20.19万
• 依托单位: University of New Hampshire
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-15 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1262470&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; RCN; EukHiTs; Eukaryotic

The University of New Hampshire and the University of California, Davis are awarded a grant to develop a Research Coordination Network focused on eukaryotic biodiversity research using high-throughput sequencing (RCN EukHiTS). Microscopic eukaryote species (organisms 1mm, such as nematodes, fungi, protists, etc.) are abundant and ubiquitous-yet invisible to the naked eye-in every ecosystem on earth. The biodiversity and geographic distributions for most of these species are largely unknown, and represent one of the major knowledge gaps in biology. High-throughput DNA sequencing technologies now allow for deep examination of virtually all microscopic organisms present in an environmental sample. For microbial eukaryote taxa, en masse biodiversity assessment using traditional loci (rRNA genes) can be conducted at a fraction of the time and cost required for traditional (morphological) approaches. Despite this promise, current bottlenecks include the lack of useful distributed tools for analysis and common data standards to allow global comparisons across individual studies as well as missing links between molecules and morphology. The EukHiTS RCN will focus on developing community capabilities for computational approaches focused on eukaryotic taxa and the infrastructure, both cyber and human, needed for effective interpretation of large high-throughput datasets. The steering committee of RCN EukHiTS includes expertise from computational biology, functional genomics, computer science, taxonomy, ecology, database resource management, and representatives of end‐user communities to ensure that all aspects of the community are well-represented. RCN EukHiTs will offer extensive scientific outreach, education and training, including a heavy focus on technology and social media tools. Key network activities will be devoted to training the next generation of scientists to take up the challenges of global biodiversity assessment; a strong focus on undergraduate opportunities ("Bioinformatics Bootcamps" and institutional research exchanges) will enable students to develop their research skill set through interdisciplinary training, and gain career insight though planned social interactions with established researchers at different career stages. Research coordination activities will include yearly catalysis meetings (held as satellite events to well-attended, interdisciplinary scientific conferences), working groups, and RCN-sponsored conference symposia. An RCN portal website will disseminate RCN activities and inform the wider community of eukaryotic biodiversity research priorities and long-term goals. Similarly, web-based content, including blog posts and Twitter feeds, will serve to engage public audiences and raise awareness of new DNA sequencing technologies and the role of microbial eukaryotes in natural ecosystems.

新罕布什尔大学和加利福尼亚大学戴维斯分校获得了一项赠款，以使用高通量测序（RCN EUKHITS）开发针对真核生物生物多样性研究的研究协调网络。微观真核生物物种（生物1mm，例如线虫，真菌，生物等）丰富而无处不在，这对于地球上每个生态系统的肉眼都看不见。这些物种中大多数的生物多样性和地理分布在很大程度上是未知的，并且代表了生物学的主要知识差距之一。高通量DNA测序技术现在可以深入研究环境样本中存在的几乎所有微观生物。对于微生物真核生物分类群，可以使用传统基因座（rRNA基因）进行大量的生物多样性评估，这是传统（形态）方法所需的时间和成本的一小部分和成本。尽管有这样的承诺，目前的瓶颈包括缺乏用于分析的有用分布式工具和共同数据标准，从而可以在各个研究之间进行全球比较，以及分子与形态学之间的缺少联系。 EUKHITS RCN将重点放在开发针对真核分类单元和网络和人类基础设施的计算方法的社区能力上，以有效解释大型高通量数据集。 RCN EUKHITS的指导委员会包括计算生物学，功能基因组学，计算机科学，分类学，生态学，数据库资源管理的专业知识，以及End＆＃8208;用户社区的代表，以确保社区的所有方面都得到很好的代表。 RCN Eukhits将提供广泛的科学外展，教育和培训，包括对技术和社交媒体工具的重点。关键的网络活动将致力于培训下一代科学家，以应对全球生物多样性评估的挑战；强烈关注本科机会（“生物信息学训练营”和机构研究交流）将使学生能够通过跨学科培训来发展他们的研究技能，并通过计划与不同职业阶段的知名研究人员进行社交互动，从而获得职业见解。研究协调活动将包括年度催化会议（作为卫星事件举行，向有限的跨学科科学会议举行），工作组和由RCN赞助的会议研讨会。 RCN门户网站将传播RCN活动，并为更广泛的社区提供真核生物多样性研究的重点和长期目标。同样，基于Web的内容（包括博客文章和Twitter提要）将有助于吸引公众受众，并提高对新的DNA测序技术的认识以及微生物真核生物在自然生态系统中的作用。