In response to the increased number of mutant mouse strains created and used by the biomedical research community, the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), starting in late 1999, sponsored the development of four MMRRCs. Additionally, an Information Coordinating Center (ICC) was funded to serve the MMRRCs by providing an electronic network linking the MMRRCs. The goals of the MMRRCs are to develop mutant mouse distribution facilities capable of husbandry, cryopreservation, rederivation, phenotypic characterization, health and genetic quality control, and maintenance of a mouse resource database. These MMRRCs serve as critical resources to the biomedical research community by preventing loss of valuable mutant mouse strains and by providing investigators with high-quality, well-characterized mutant mouse models that otherwise would not be available. The long-term benefits of the MMRRC program to the understanding of human health, disease and how to treat disease will be enormous. This application requests funds to support the Second Annual MMRRC Meeting. The proposed meeting will be held in March of 2002 and will provide a forum for the MMRRC PIs, the ICC PI, the subcommittee chairpersons, other key MMRRC personnel and NCRR staff to discuss the current status of the MMRRCs, to discuss problems and to share ideas and potential solutions related to the ongoing functions of the MMRRC. In addition, presentations will be made from representatives of Mutant Mouse Resources outside the United States, with the goal of establishing enhanced collaboration and coordination among mutant mouse resource centers world-wide. Finally, presentations will be made by members-at-large of the scientific community to convey additional needs of investigators that might be met by the MMRRCs. The proposed conference will ensure the continued success of this developing MMRRC program by allowing individuals from each of the performing sites to meet, discuss and resolve programmatic, policy and technical issues associated with the operation of the MMRRCs. The cost of this conference is modest and well justified, recognizing the tremendous importance of this MMRRC program to biomedical investigators throughout the country. Support is requested by the MMRRCs to hold its Second Annual Meeting. In response to the increased number of mutant mouse strains created and used by the biomedical research community, NCRR sponsored the development of four MMRRCs and an ICC whose purpose was to provide an electronic network linking the MMRRCs. The goals of the MMRRCs are to provide investigators with high- quality, well-characterized mutant mouse models that otherwise would not be available to the scientific community. This application requests funds to support the Second Annual MMRRC Meeting to be held in March 2002. The proposed conference will ensure the continued success of the developing MMRRC program by allowing individuals from each of the MMRRC sites to meet, discuss and resolve programmatic, policy and technical issues associated with the operation of the MMRRCs.
