The University of Wisconsin Genome Center will be a national center for studying the structure of the Drosophila melanogaster genome and for developing advanced genome analysis technologies. This Center builds on recognized excellence in Drosophila molecular genetics, DNA manipulation and sequencing technology development and biocomputing. A special aspect of the Center's plans is that we propose to analyze the genome structure through a unique approach, transposon tagging. This will provide important genetic and physical research tools, will facilitate a functional analysis of the analyzed genetic regions, and will avoid the necessity of determining a molecular physical map prior to sequencing. The University of Wisconsin Genome Center's activities will be focused on four major goals. (1) 1,500 Drosophila lines will be isolated containing P element insertions spaced approximately 100 kbp apart. The location of the P element insertions will be determined by in situ hybridization to the polytene chromosomes. The P element to be used will be specially designed to facilitate a saturated genetic analysis and provide access to the DNA for an ordered element to element sequence analysis. (2) New technologies to facilitate DNA cloning and sequencing will be developed. These will greatly enhance the ease of isolating large DNA regions and the efficiency of sequencing. (3) DNA sequence analyses of genetically well-defined regions will be performed. This will provide information of immediate use to the research community and lead to the eventual sequencing of the entire 150 mbp genome. (4) Biocomputing techniques which will facilitate DNA sequence analysis and data transmission to the research community will be developed. The Center will have a major stimulatory impact on the Drosophila research community, will develop transposon tagging as an important alternative methodology for genome analysis and will develop new technologies in DNA manipulations, DNA sequencing and sequence analysis.
