RCN for Genomic and Metagenomic Standards

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

The University of California-San Diego is awarded a grant to create a research coordination network to promote and integrate standards for genomic and metagenomic data and metadata within an international community. The network is based on the existing Genomic Standard Consortium and will be extended under this award to include ecological data standards such as Ecological Metadata Language, biodiversity standards such as Darwin Core, and environmental research programs such as the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network and Long Term Ecological Research. Genome enabled research has transformed biological sciences for the entire breadth of scales from molecular to ecosystems. Expanding and fully incorporating early consensus building, technical standards and the institutional commitments inspired and implemented by the Genomic Standards Consortium, the creation of this RCN for the Genome Standards Consortium (RCN4GSC) will ensure a worldwide, community driven process for establishing standardized mechanisms for the electronic capture of genomic data and for obtaining willingness to participate; these are essential to ensure effective use of the sequence and associated data, to provide access for all biologists to all of the information, and to create interdisciplinary opportunities for discovery. Intense collaborations around the maturation of GCDML, Genome Rosetta Stone and the Genome Catalogue will be an early focus. Productivity will be sustained year round by routine A.V. and web-enabled interactions, including small working group sessions and collaborations via the RCN's extant web hub at http://gensc.org. The activities will expand ongoing coordination required for implementation, including the Genome Catalog, GCDML, Genome Rosetta Stone software, Habitat-Lite and Environmental Ontology, and the eJournal "Standards in Genomic Sciences". The RCN will also sustain and build upon the very active, ongoing, two-way exchange between LTER and GSC, interactions arising from common goals. The RCN4GSC will be an open organization, welcoming inspired biologists with a commitment to community service, and will increase participation from Asia and the USA. Coordination with professional societies and communication to federal and foundation stakeholders will be among strategies for expanding participation; these will be managed by the Communications Committee, who will focus on enlisting further diversity in participation and in reaching out to young biologists.