We propose small, intensive annual workshops whose mission is to coordinate mouse genetic, genomic, biological and bioinformatics research and resources towards the 10-year goal of functionally annotating the DNA sequence of the mouse genome. This goal will be accomplished by (1) producing at least one heritable mutation in ES cells, mice or both in every gene in the genome; (2) identifying every gene that affects key traits of biomedical interest; (3) establishing an infrastructure for preserving and distributing mutant cells, mice and gametes; and (4) enhancing the informatics and database support for these functional studies. The workshops will involve invited academic and commercial experts from the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia.
The specific aims of the workshops are - To coordinate the production, characterization, archival and distribution of ES cells, gametes and mice; - To develop 2nd generation phenotypic assays for novel functional variants by working with experts in particular biological areas; - To assess progress, problems and solutions that are being addressed in the large and small mutagenesis programs; - To coordinate the management of genetic and phenotypic information about these mutant mice in a centralized, publicly accessible database; - To evaluate the usage and utility of mutant mice by the larger biomedical research community.
