HomeResearchExtramural ResearchThe Large-Scale Genome Sequencing Program BAC Resource Network

The National Institutes of Health Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) Resource Network

Over the past several years, the bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) has emerged as the vector system of choice for the construction of the large-insert, chromosomal DNA libraries that are needed in genomic studies. Because BAC clones are relatively large and appear to faithfully represent an organism's genome, the BAC system will also be the vehicle of choice for the isolation of targeted regions of genomic DNA from additional organisms being used in specific biological studies, a variety of mouse strains, and even from individual humans. With the increasing interest in genomic approaches to biological research, the demand for new BAC libraries is expected to increase rapidly in the next several years.

To meet the need to increase the number of available BAC libraries, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), have awarded a set of cooperative agreements to form the National Institutes of Health (NIH) BAC Resource Network, and increase the national BAC library-making capacity. The BAC Resource Network will produce at least fifteen BAC libraries at 10X coverage of 'mammalian-size' genomes or the equivalent.

The BAC Resource Network will be overseen by a BAC Resource Steering Panel of 4 to 6 scientists, who will regularly evaluate the program's overall progress and make recommendations to the NHGRI and participating institutes about any adjustments that need to be made to the program.

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Last Reviewed: September 23, 2008