From owner-dros@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Mon May 19 19:43:56 2003 Return-Path: X-Original-To: dros-outgoing Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with SMTP id CE0267D140 for ; Mon, 19 May 2003 19:43:55 +0100 (BST) X-Original-To: dros-list@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 61C237D15C for ; Mon, 19 May 2003 19:43:55 +0100 (BST) Received: by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix, from userid 6020) id 6C8D17D140; Mon, 19 May 2003 19:43:54 +0100 (BST) X-Original-To: bionet-drosophila@net.bio.net Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 701917D220 for ; Sun, 18 May 2003 21:02:52 +0100 (BST) Received: by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix, from userid 60001) id 46AC67D0D7; Sun, 18 May 2003 21:02:51 +0100 (BST) To: bionet-drosophila@net.bio.net From: kaufman@bio.indiana.edu (Thom Kaufman) Newsgroups: bionet.drosophila Subject: Genome White Paper Organization: BIOSCI/MRC Human Genome Mapping Project Resource Centre Message-ID: <9B091FE4-896B-11D7-8E8C-000393671ED0@bio.indiana.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v552) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Original-To: dros@net.bio.net X-Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 385167D220 for ; Sun, 18 May 2003 21:02:50 +0100 (BST) X-Received: from plounts.uits.indiana.edu (plounts.uits.indiana.edu [129.79.1.73]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8181F7D0D7 for ; Sun, 18 May 2003 21:02:48 +0100 (BST) X-Received: from logchain.uits.indiana.edu (logchain.uits.indiana.edu [129.79.1.77]) by plounts.uits.indiana.edu (8.12.9/8.12.9/IUPO) with ESMTP id h4IK2i6I024229 for ; Sun, 18 May 2003 15:02:44 -0500 (EST) X-Received: from bio.indiana.edu (silkmoth.bio.indiana.edu [129.79.224.169]) by logchain.uits.indiana.edu (8.12.9/8.12.9/IUPO) with ESMTP id h4IK2d8n005231 for ; Sun, 18 May 2003 15:02:44 -0500 (EST) X-To: "dros@net.bio.net" X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.552) Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 19:43:54 +0100 (BST) Sender: owner-dros@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Dear Colleagues, The availability of genome sequences from both D. melanogaster and D. pseudoobscura has proven to be an outstanding resource for Drosophila biologists, as evidenced by the rapid increase in the number of investigators who are now exploiting sequence information from these two species for comparative studies. The future is even more promising as the genomes from many diverse organisms are being considered as new targets for genome projects by various funding agencies. Given the depth and breadth of studies on Drosophila, and the genetic and molecular tools available to us as Drosophila researchers, it is clear that there is much to be gained by sequencing more than two Drosophila species. It is also clear that the time is ripe to make our case for the enormous power of Drosophila as a paradigm for comparative genomics. This spring, the Drosophila Board recognized the need to act on behalf of the Drosophila research community to inform the research community-at-large of importance of sequencing additional Drosophila species. We also recognized the need to carefully consider which species should rank as highest priorities. We decided to gather a group of expert colleagues, who would collectively represent ecological, population, evolutionary and developmental biology, statistical and bioinformatics perspectives, to discuss these issues. We held that meeting in Tucson at the end of April. As a result of this meeting, a White Paper with a proposal for sequencing multiple species of Drosophila has been prepared by the participants of the meeting. We have been informed that it is in our best interest to meet the June 10th deadline for submission of this proposal for consideration by the NIH-NHGRI. It is absolutely CRITICAL that we have wide and strong community input in order for this proposal to be considered by NIH as meeting the needs of the research community. We are now asking for your input and must have all comments BY May 31st in order to consider them. We have proposed an ambitious plan but did so because of the outstanding biological rationale and our confidence that the information gained from having sequence information from the selected species of the Drosophila will provide insight into essentially all areas of modern biology. Please read this Comparative Genomics of Drosophila White Paper at the following site within Fly Base: URL: http://flybase.org/.data/news/announcements/WhitePaperInfo.html We must have your comments, letters of support and a short paragraph on how your research efforts might benefit from the proposed project BY MAY 31st . PLEASE E-MAIL YOUR COMMENTS TO: FlyBaseP@flybase.org Your comments will be provided to the NIH, along with the White Paper. Again, we cannot emphasize strongly enough how important your response to this request is. Sincerely, The Participants of the Tucson Meeting and Contributors to the White Paper. Andy Clark, Greg Gibson, Thom Kaufman, Gene Meyers, Patrick O'Grady, Teri Markow, Michael Ashburner, Susan Celniker, Bill Gelbart, Chuck Langley, Bryant McAllister, Jeff Powell, Sudhir Kumar, Margaret Kidwell, Fringie Richards and David Stern, and Barbara Wakimoto --- .