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NSF Awards $75.6M For Plant Genome ResearchThe National Science Foundation today awarded a total of $75.6 million to support 23 collaborative research projects in plant genomics. Eight young investigators were also awarded a total of $9.5 million under the inaugural Young Investigator Awards in Plant Genome Research competition. This year's competition emphasized collaborative research in functional genomics, including development of tools to facilitate gene expression studies. A project led by the University of Arizona will develop new, sensitive methods for measuring gene expression in specific types of cells and parts of cells, while a project led by the University of Alabama, Birmingham, will develop new methods for analysis of gene expression data on a genome-wide scale. Two collaborative research awards were made to begin isolation and sequencing of maize genes, one led by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, and the other led by Rutgers University in New Jersey. In the Danforth Center project, scientists will test two methods for isolating the gene-rich regions of the maize genome, while the Rutgers research team will sequence 20 million base pairs of the maize genome and assemble the sequence onto a detailed map. The Young Investigator Awards in Plant Genomics focuses on the development of the future leaders in plant genome research. Funded research includes development of new computational tools to compare plant genomes, analysis of genes involved in plant resistance to pathogens, and genes involved in root and fruit development. All the Young Investigator Award recipients have earned doctorates since January 1997 and are at the beginning of their independent research careers. Plant genomic research provides the nation with scientific understanding of the structure and function of genomes of plants that are important to agriculture, environmental management, energy, and health. Besides maize, researchers will concentrate on other crops of economic importance including potato, tomato, pine, cotton, soybean, rice, and grape.
For a list of FY 2002 awards, see: http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/fy02plantgenomeawards.htm NSF is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 30,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 10,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts yearly. Receive official NSF news electronically through the e-mail delivery system, NSFnews. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to listmanager@nsf.gov. In the body of the message, type "subscribe nsfnews" and then type your name. (Ex.: "subscribe nsfnews John Smith") Receive NSF publications and reports through the email- and web-based alert service, Custom News. To subscribe, go to http://www.nsf.gov and click on "Custom News Service."
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