Rice has become a model for grasses and cereal because of its small genome size, available genome sequence, and ease of transformation. The structural and functional analysis of rice genes has broad practical implications for the other economically important cereals such as corn and wheat. One approach, microarray analysis, permits biologists to measure the expression levels of thousands of genes in single experiment. Biologically significant information can be extracted from these data computationally, and then used to assign functions to genes, and to identify genetic regulatory networks.
In this project, we will:
1) Design 40,000 70-mer oligomers and construct microarrays for project use and public distribution. 2) Construct a data analysis system, database and user interface for project data. Develop web-based tools for data mining the rice transcriptome. 3) Train the user community in the use of arrays.
Public-sector access to microarrays is critical to ensure that the large public investment in rice structural genomics is converted into public scientific and economic benefits. We will deliver a publicly available oligonucleotide microarray that will be useful for analysis of virtually any trait in rice, a repository for rice microarray expression data, and enhanced functional annotation of the rice genome.
Deliverables In years one and two, 15000-element arrays will be distributed. In year three, 40,000-element arrays will be distributed. Information about the arrays and where to order them will be available on the project web site at www.tigr.org.
