The BIO Directorate The BIO Directorate Microbial Biology EmphasisMicrobial Biology Emphasis

BIO Advisory CommitteeBIO Advisory CommitteeApril, 2005April, 2005

BIO’s Microbial Biology EmphasisBIO’s Microbial Biology Emphasis

• BIO is proposing an increased effort to advance microbial biology beginning in FY 2006.

• A new working group has been charged to consider:

What programs or activities will best serve

the microbial science of the future? How should they be structured?

BackgroundBackground and Contextand Context

• Microbes are vastly understudied, given their importance on Earth.

• NSF has supported research on microbes in a number of contexts over many years.

• Interest and opportunities are growing.

BackgroundBackground and Contextand Context

• Genomics has provided the key to understanding the microbial world.

• Complementary approaches have been enhanced and revitalized.

• Microbes and their interactions can now be placed in the context of their natural environments.

The BIO Microbial Biology The BIO Microbial Biology Working Group Working Group

Approach

Identify the leading edge biological questions and research needs in microbial biology.

Match the questions and research needs to current programs and opportunities.

Identify intersections and complementarity of programs and gaps.

Develop a plan for the BIO Microbial Emphasis in 2006

Community Input

A Number of Workshops, Including

• 1999. Microbial Genomes: Blueprints for Life

• 2000. The Microbe Project – The NSF Role (a BIO/NSF Advisory Committee Workshop)

• 2002. Microbial Ecology and Genomics: A Crossroads of Opportunity

• 2004. Facilitating Microbial Research through Advanced Data Management Infrastructure (A workshop sponsored by the Microbe Project Interagency Working Group)

Community Input

Recommendations from PI Meetings

Microbial Genome Sequencing Program• 2005 Genome sequencing is still needed.

Microbial Observatories• 2002: Add an opportunity for research on

Microbial Interactions and Processes

• 2004 White paper from meeting of Microbial Observatories PIs with USDA grantees and staff recommends a joint effort.

Interagency Coordination: The Microbe Project

Member Agencies

Department of Agriculture

Department of Commerce

Department of Defense

Department of Energy

Department of Health and Human Services

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

National Science Foundation

The Microbe Project Interagency Working Group

• 1999. Interagency Report on the Federal Investment in Microbial Genomics

• 2001. Interagency Working Group on Microbial Genomics of the NSTC Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Biotechnology, The Microbe Project Report

• 2005. Updated strategic planning document in preparation.

The Microbe Project Interagency Working Group

2005 Topics under Consideration

Infrastructure needs (including more genome sequencing) Assigning Functions

• Mechanisms of Microbe-Microbe and Microbe-other organism interactions

• Comparative Genomics

• Databases and Bioinformatics Infrastructure

• Environmental Genomics (aka Metagenomics)

• Proteomics

• Microbial Epidemiology and Forensics

Recommendations from All Sources

• Advance genome-enabled research at all levels of biological organization

• Education and outreach programs

• Resource needs: Genome sequence and quality annotation Cyberinfrastructure Accessible technologies

Research Frontiers

Explore and elucidate microbial:

• Metabolic diversity and function

• Communication, signaling, and behavior• Interactions with other organisms• Diversity

• Evolution and how groups maintain cohesion

• Ecology

Understand the fundamental processes of life from molecular to ecological levels

Infrastructure and Infrastructure and Resource NeedsResource Needs

• Build the genome sequence knowledge base.

• Determine the functions of open reading frames to improve annotation.

• Develop ontologies, databases, and informatics tools for: Analysis of microbial genomes. Analysis of DNA from environmental samples. Linking genomic data with other data types.

• Develop and make accessible new research tools and techniques.

Education and OutreachEducation and Outreach

• Educate at the interfaces of microbial biology with:

Genomics Math, physical sciences, computer science Environmental Science

• Broaden Participation

• Increase public awareness

NSF/BIO Current Opportunities in NSF/BIO Current Opportunities in Microbial BiologyMicrobial Biology

• Microbial Genome Sequencing (Joint with USDA)

• Microbial Observatories & Microbial Interactions and Processes

• Microbial Research in: Core Programs FIBR Plant Genome Research Program Ecology of Infectious Disease (Joint with NIH)

Instrumentation & Instrumentation & Instrument Instrument

DevelopmentDevelopment

PEETPEET

IGERTIGERT

Dissertation Dissertation ImprovemeImprovementnt

Post Post DocsDocs

Databases and Databases and InformaticsInformatics

Living Living StocksStocks

Genome Genome SequencingSequencing

Ecological & Evolutionary Ecological & Evolutionary PhysiologyPhysiology

Ecology & Ecology & EcosystemsEcosystems

Plant Genome Plant Genome ResearchResearch

SystematiSystematicscs

Metabolic Metabolic BiochemistBiochemist

ryry

Plant BiologyPlant Biology

DevelopmentaDevelopmentall

SystemsSystems

Biodiversity Biodiversity SurveysSurveys

& Inventories& Inventories

Microbial Microbial Observatories & Observatories & Interactions & Interactions &

ProcessesProcesses

RCNRCN

MicrobialMicrobialGeneticsGenetics

[Education ][Education ]

[Research [Research Frontiers]Frontiers]

[Infrastructure[Infrastructure]]

REUREUUMEUMEBB

NSF/BIO Planning for Future NSF/BIO Planning for Future Opportunities in Microbial BiologyOpportunities in Microbial Biology

• The Microbial Biology Working Group is charged to consider:

What activities and programs will best serve the microbial science of the future?

How should they be structured?

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Databases

PEET

IGERT

Postdoc

Living Stocks

REUUBM

Instrumentation

Ecology

Ecosystem

s

Physiology

FIBR

Systematics

Evolution

Microbial Observatories

Biochemistry

Genetics

GenomeSequencing

Ecology of Infectious

Disease

Cell biology

Plant genome