NSF Award
9413997
The Jackson Laboratory (TJL) is a national resource for mammalian genetics research. Its threefold mission is to 1) Perform basic research in mammalian genetics, 2) maintain and distribute vital genetic resources, and 3) educate students and scientists in these areas. Funding is requested to obtain advanced research tools and computing hardware that will both enhance the Laboratory's ability to perform scientific research, and to collect and distribute data on the mouse at an unprecedented level of resolution and comprehensiveness. The Laboratory currently serves as a mouse informatics center for scientific community, compiling and preparing genome databases available via electronic communication. Additionally, 15,000 phone inquires concerning a wide range of topics on mice are fielded each year by the scientific staff. Recently, The Laboratory has become a repository for 'induced' mutants created by modern transgenic technologies, addition to its responsibility as a curator and provider of genetics resources. It is in the best interests of the scientific community for The Laboratory to adopt the most modern and efficient strategies to obtain, preserve and communicate the explosion of biological data from mammalian genetics research. This proposal seeks to upgrade the capabilities of TJL towards this end through an integrated approach to basic research and data dissemination. The research tools requested include a variety of instruments that have the ability to generate and record digital biological information of the large number of unique inbred and mutant stains of mice maintained at TJL. These include microscope imaging system, a lab animal body composition analyzer, and an EEG machine. This equipment would benefit the research of scientists at TJL, and produce data that can be constructed on site. To store, organize, and disseminate this information to the scientific community, a high capacity data storage component is requested. The enhanced data storage and throughput capabilities will be a critical addition to the ongoing work and new initiatives of the TJL Informatics groups, and will ultimately benefit the worldwide community by enabling the provision of detailed biological data through enhanced databases accessible through the Internet.
