Dear Collegues,
WHO has provided funds to its Schisto Genome Network to hold a Meeting to
review progress in the Schisto Genome Initiative, to identify and resolve
limitations arising from current strategies and to decide the future agenda
for the Network's research.
With respect to the future direction of research activities, WHO-TDR's
Genome Committee, has indicated that it would like to see the initiation of
"post-genomic" studies and that it is willing to receive applications for
such projects in the next funding round (deadline for new applications,
15th July 1998). This potential shift in emphasis of Network activity may
make participation in the Genome Network more attractive to various
research groups.
WHO defines "post-genomic" initiatives as projects investigating DNA
sequence information for the identification of molecules important for
parasite virulence and host survival. Since this is a relatively new area,
the Committee does not wish to restrict the scope of such proposals but
stipulates that they must:
* be of innovative approach
* ultimately include whole genome analysis to provide valuable information
about function of all genes and the genome; preliminary studies should be
extendable to the whole genome
* contain detailed analysis, showing that the research is both cost- and
time-effective
* not simply a be major scale up of currently practiced analysis by single
investigators
The purpose of this mailing is, therefore, to invite laboratories
interested in either "pre-genomic" (gene discovery, physical mapping,
informatics etc.) or "post genomic" analyses (as above) to register their
interest in attending the 1998 Network Meeting. This is currently scheduled
for 9th - 12th May 1998 at Angra dos Reis, Brazil (100 km south of Rio de
Janeiro). These dates have been chosen after consultation with WHO and with
consideration of the deadlines for reports and new applications. We
anticipate that funds will be made available to help support
representatives of several new groups attend the Meeting.
Please reply, as soon as possible, to David Johnston, Network Secretary
(daj at nhm.ac.uk), with details of your potential interests in the
generation, analysis and exploitation of genome data.
Further details of the TDR-Genome Workplan can be obtained from TDR's WWW
site (http://www.who.ch/tdr/)
Further information about the WHO Schistosoma Genome Network can be
obtained from its WWW site (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/schisto) or by email to
the Network Secretary.
Thank you, in advance,
David Johnston
Phil LoVerde (Network co-ordinator)
Jucara Parra (local organiser - CPqRR (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
David A. Johnston,
Secretary to the WHO Schistosoma Genome Network,
Biomedical Parasitology Division,
Dept. of Zoology,
The Natural History Museum,
Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, England, UK.
Tel: 0171 9389297 (from outside the UK: 44 171 9389297)
Fax: 0171 9388754 (from outside the UK: 44 171 9388754)
eMail daj at nhm.ac.ukhttp://www.nhm.ac.uk/schisto
The Biomedical Parasitology Division is a WHO Collaborating Centre for the
identification of schistosomes and their snail hosts.
