Until the official minutes of the January 22-23, 2009, meeting of the National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council (NAGMSC) are posted on this Web site, we are providing this summary of the major topics covered during the Council's open session on January 23.
PSI Overview
Dr. Jeremy Berg provided an overview of NIGMS’ Protein Structure Initiative (PSI), whose long-range goal is to make the three-dimensional atomic-level structures of most proteins easily obtainable from knowledge of their corresponding DNA sequences. The first, pilot stage of the PSI began in 2000 with the creation of research centers to serve as pilots for the design of the later production phase, which began in 2005 and will end in 2010. Dr. Berg discussed the recent findings of the PSI Assessment Panel and described the Institute’s planning efforts for PSI-Biology, the next phase of the NIGMS structural genomics investment.
Contact: Dr. Jeremy Berg, jb806n@nih.gov, 301-594-2172
Report: Future Structural Initiatives Meeting
In October 2008, NIGMS sponsored the Future Structural Genomics Initiatives meeting to consider future options for Institute funding in this area. Dr. Peter Preusch noted recurring themes from the meeting, including: i) the evolution of intellectual drivers for structural genomics; ii) the engagement of a broad scientific community in selecting protein structural targets; iii) annotation improvements; and iv) enhanced use of the intellectual and material products of structural genomics through improved access, education and dissemination. Dr. Preusch stated that meeting attendees endorsed improved connections between structural and functional studies, continued technology development for protein production and structure determination, as well as more emphasis on biomedically important protein targets.
Contacts: Dr. Peter Preusch, preuschp@nigms.nih.gov, 301-594-0828; Dr. David Eisenberg david@mbi.ucla.edu, 310-825-3754
Report: PSI Advisory Committee
Representing the PSI Advisory Committee (PSIAC), Dr. Lila Gierasch of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, shared her impressions from the October 2008 NIGMS Future Structural Genomics Initiatives meeting and the December 2008 PSI Annual Meeting. Dr. Gierasch presented the annual PSIAC report and offered the group’s recommendations for the future of the PSI: namely continued NIGMS support of high-throughput structural biology research with an emphasis on high-impact biological problems, substantial community engagement, and membrane protein structure determination.
Contact: Dr. Lila Gierasch, gierasch@biochem.umass.edu, 413-545-6094
Concept Clearance: PSI: High-Throughput Structure Biology
In response to a January 2008 PSI Assessment Panel, NIGMS has made several changes to the program, including increasing its focus on biological problems, providing more transparency on target selection, enabling the community to nominate protein targets, and enhancing outreach to the biomedical community through the PSI-Nature Structural Genomics Knowledgebase and the PSI Materials Repository. Drs. Peter Preusch and John Norvell provided details of proposed future initiatives, including i) new centers to enhance efforts in high-throughput structure methods and membrane protein structure determination; ii) proposed partnerships for high-throughput enabled structural biology research; iii) and continued support of the PSI Genomics Knowledgebase and Materials Repository. Drs. Preusch and Norvell requested, and received, Council approval to pursue the PSI programs through appropriate funding solicitations.
Contacts: Dr. Peter Preusch, preuschp@nigms.nih.gov, 301-594-0828; Dr. John Norvell, norvellj@nigms.nih.gov, 301-594-0533
Concept Clearance: Contract Re-Competition for the NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository
In 1972, NIGMS established the Human Genetic Cell Repository to facilitate research in genetics and related areas by providing high-quality, well-characterized, contaminant-free cell lines from people with a range of genetic disorders as well as from normal individuals. An online catalog lists and provides information about the repository’s approximately 10,000 cell lines and DNA samples derived from these lines. Since its inception, the repository has been funded by a series of contracts awarded competitively to the Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden, New Jersey. Dr. Judith Greenberg, the repository’s project officer, requested and received, Council approval to re-compete the contract for five more years.
Contact: Dr. Judith Greenberg, greenbej@nigms.nih.gov, 301-594-0943
Overview: Research on Interventions
Dr. Shiva Singh discussed recent progress from the NIGMS Research on Interventions that Promote Research Careers program. This effort funds individual investigator grants that test assumptions and hypotheses that undergird interventions intended to increase the interest, motivation and preparedness of underrepresented individuals’ preparedness for careers in biomedical and behavioral research. Dr. Singh also provided a brief summary of the Minority Biomedical Research Supported Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program.
Contact: Dr. Shiva Singh, singhs@nigms.nih.gov, 301-594-3900
Findings from a National Longitudinal Study of the RISE Program
NIH programs such as RISE program provide training and support for students from underrepresented groups, as part of ongoing efforts to encourage these students to pursue science careers. Dr. P. Wesley Schultz of California State University in San Marcos summarized several key findings from his NIGMS-funded longitudinal panel study begun in 2005 to track the educational pathways of more than 1,300 minority science students from 45 U.S. campuses. Dr. Schultz noted that the results to date show strong evidence that participating in the RISE program sustains student interest in biomedical science, largely due to research experience and to a lesser extent mentorship and financial support.
Contact: Dr. P. Wesley Schultz, wschultz@csusm.edu, 760-750-8045
Issues Regarding Handling of Post-Glue Grant Research Resources
The NIGMS large-scale collaborative project awards, or “glue grant” program began in 2001 with the aim of building infrastructure and developing unique research resources to solve important problems facing biomedicine. Dr. Michael Rogers stated that collectively, the glue grant consortia have created many valuable cell lines, antibodies, chemical libraries, arrays, databases and other resources that should be maintained beyond the life of the glue grant awards. NIGMS staff assembled an organized set of questions and a list of annotated resources from each consortium. Dr. Rogers invited Council input on how to proceed with the continuation of glue grant-generated research resources.
Contacts: Dr. Michael Rogers, rogersm@nigms.nih.gov, 301-594-3827
Report: Modeling Social Behavior Conference
Social behaviors have a significant impact on health. For example, infectious diseases spread through social contact, and social behavior influences development through processes that have been studied in both humans and model organisms. With the advent of large-scale computational models of social systems, it is now possible to study how behavior and social systems affect each other. Dr. Iain Couzin of Princeton University presented an overview of his research in this area, which aims to scale from individual interactions to collective behavior in groups. Dr. Joshua Epstein of the Brookings Institution then presented a summary of a November 2008 NIGMS-sponsored meeting on modeling social behavior.
Contacts: Dr. Iain Couzin, icouzin@princeton.edu, 609-258-8786; Dr. Joshua Epstein, jchelen@brookings.edu, 202-797-6163
Concept Clearance: Modeling Workforce Diversity
Two NIGMS working groups have met to discuss the feasibility, merits and approaches of developing models of the scientific workforce that would inform development of programs and policies. Dr. Berg stated that three issues of particular interest include: i) understanding how to diversify the scientific workforce; ii) studying the impact of policies targeted at new investigators on development of the workforce; and iii) establishing appropriate models that ensure good data collection. Since the working groups’ reports indicate that modeling workforce diversity is feasible, Dr. Berg requested, and received, Council approval to issue a small funding solicitation in this area.
Contact: Dr. Jeremy Berg, bergj@nigms.nih.gov, 301-594-2172
Legislative Updates
Dr. Warren Jones described the principal NIH-related provisions that are being considered for inclusion in the economic stimulus legislation that is currently being developed by Congress. He also described the status of ongoing efforts to complete the FY 2009 appropriations process and discussed the Congressional committees that have jurisdiction over NIH.
Contact: Dr. Warren Jones, jonesw@nigms.nih.gov, 301-594-3827
Report: Conference on Dynamics of Host-Associated Microbial Communities
Through the Roadmap, NIH recently funded the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), which will explore the community of microorganisms that resides in and on the human body. Dr. Singh presented a summary of a recent NIGMS-sponsored conference that considered how genetic, physiological and ecological studies can complement metagenomic approaches to deepen understanding of microbe-host interactions. Dr. Singh noted that the outcome of the conference has been summarized in a white paper that will be used to guide possible future initiatives.
Contacts: Dr. Shiva Singh, singhs@nigms.nih.gov, 301-594-3900
