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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Global International Genomics Alliance Workshop held at NSU Center of Excellence
Invertebrate scientists met at the Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance workshop in the NSU Ocean Center of Excellence in Coral Reef Ecosystems Research main auditorium, March 1-3, 2013.
NSU’s Oceanographic Center (NSU OC) associate professor Jose V Lopez, Ph.D., has organized the first gathering of marine invertebrate scientists to discuss the plausibility and long term strategies for sequencing the whole “genomes” (heredity material) of thousands of marine invertebrate (“spineless”) organisms. The workshop group has been dubbed GIGA for a Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance and convened from March 1 – 3 at the NSU OC’s Center of Excellence in Coral Reef Ecosystems Research.
Over 40 scientists from as far away as China, Europe and California, and including institutions such as the Smithsonian and Scripps Oceanographic, gathered with regional invertebrate experts, industry reps (Life Technologies, PacBio and BioNanoGenomics), OC graduate and undergraduate students. In depth topics were discussed in general meetings and breakout groups. These encompassed themes such as which specific organisms to sequence (coral to octopi to worms etc), optimal types of DNA or RNA sequencing methods, sample preparation, priority and an invertebrate organism’s place on the Tree of Life. The workshop website can be viewed at www.nova.edu/ocean/giga, and will be followed with a more extensive report in the coming weeks. This remains an opportune time to focus expert groups, since the DNA sequencing of whole genomes can be generated faster at lower costs, with more reliable platforms that are now more accessible to more laboratories. (In this context, the NSU OC will help host the upcoming 3rd vertebrate Genome10K conference in Hollywood, April 24- 28 – http://confg10k.com/).