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Discussion Meeting
International Mouse Mutagenesis Consortium
London, Feb 4, 2002
Purpose of meeting
- Review the proposed IMMC plan, in the light of current scientific efforts and funding commitments
- Discuss the practical implications of achieving the proposed goals, including identifying the needs for development of key new technologies
- Discuss timescales with respect to current technologies and potential future improved technologies, setting outline targets
- Review the likely increased funding commitments that will need to be sought to implement a timely plan
- Discuss the mechanisms for international co-ordination of activities
Key Conlusions, Recommendations, and Actions
Mutagenesis
Recommendation
- to undertake a balanced portfolio of approaches
Gene Driven
- Sperm/ES cell bank Timeline: 3-5 years
- consider organisation of mutation detection, ES and sperm archives and balance of distributed and centralised resources/services
- ES cell gene trap resource Timeline: 3-5 years
- ES cell targeted mutation resource - preferably conditional Timeline: 10 years
Phenotype driven
- Continued ENU screens
- Balancers for all chromosomes Timeline: 5 years plus
Note: Mutants are the building blocks for sensitised screens
Action
- establish a group (Allan Bradley) to look at costs and international co-ordination
Phenotyping
Recommendations
- Continued development of integrated production and distribution centres, but with a strong parallel focus on the dissemination of ENU and associated technologies. Though genotyping and mapping facilities will often be incorporated into production centres, a strong network should allow genotyping/phenotyping labs to develop outside of the production centres.
- Ensure improved networking that will enhance integrated training from mutant generation to gene identification
Actions
- Establish SOP workshops (Steve Brown) viz. generalised EUMORPHIA model of workshops
- Improve networking and communication between and outwith community - physiologists, biologists, pathologists, clinicians and technology developers as key participants in SOP workshops (see above)
- Examine the delivery of gene cloning and sequencing facilities and technologies, as an important underpinning to phenotype driven screens (Joe Nadeau)
- Establish a public-private relationship in networking and communication (J. Nadeau, to be initiated through the Mutagenesis Meeting, Washington, July 2002)
Archiving and Distribution
Recommendation
- Distribution of frozen material is preferable and the promulgation of IVF/Embryo transfer expertise as a standard skill in mouse facilities should be encouraged
Actions
- Increase number of training courses in IVF/Embryo transfer (JAX, Harwell, GSF, Oak Ridge)
- Develop clear standards for community archives (Martin Hrabe de Angelis) Timeline: 2 years
- Develop mechanisms for ensuring ongoing funding for archives worldwide (continuing discussions within IMMC)
- Develop the IMSR to incorporate other major archives outside of JAX/Harwell (Janan Eppig) Timeline: 1 year
Informatics
Recommendations
- Develop a single integrated mutant database
- Develop the use of IDs for all mutants
- Develop and apply a controlled vocabulary to mutant phenotypes
Actions
- Submission of mutants to community archives dependent upon ID number assignments (all major archives to liaise with JAX) Timeline: 1 year
- Apply vocabulary to all mutants in community archives (JAX) Timeline: 1-2 years
- Ensure that Phenotyping SOPs make use of controlled vocabulary (see Phenotype working groups above)
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