Measuring the Microbial World National 测量微生物世界国家.pptVIP

Board on Life SciencesA New Biology for the 21st Century Committee on a New Biology for the 21st Century Co-Chairs: Thomas Connelly, DuPont Company Phillip A. Sharp, MIT Study Director: Ann Reid, BLS  Committee on a New Biology for the 21st Century calls for A National New Biology Initiative Goals: Propel science to a new level Provide solutions to pressing societal problems And at the same time, improve productivity across the life sciences  A moment of unique opportunity -- Current research has brought biology to an inflection point Integration of subdisciplines within biology Cross-discipline integration: life science research by physical, computational, earth scientists, engineers Technological advances enable biologists to collect data unprecedented in quantity and quality Past investments providing value beyond expected An opportunity for a New Biology with impact at an unprecedented scale  New Biology could affect urgent problems: Nearly a billion undernourished in ’07; still increasing, especially where food supply already inadequate Human activities are stressing, altering and destroying ecosystems we rely on Transportation fuels depend almost fully on limited non-renewable resources Healthcare decisions based on statistics; rely on costly technologies that may not benefit a given individual  Food Environment Energy Health The National New Biology Initiative Setting big goals: address societal problems  What is the New Biology? Biology Adapt any food plant to any growing condition Mission: sustainable local food production What is needed: – genetically informed breeding and transgenics – recognition of importance of biodiversity, systematics, evolutionary genomics – analysis of crops as ecosystems Requires fundamental understanding of: – plant development, growth and productivity – plant