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Title: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION-SPONSORED WORKSHOP REPORT: DRAFT PLAN FOR SOYBEAN GENOMICS

Author
item STACEY, GARY - UNIV MISSOURI
item VODKIN, LILA - UNIV ILLINOIS
item PARROTT, WAYNE - UNIV GEORGIA
item Shoemaker, Randy

Submitted to: Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2004
Publication Date: 7/13/2004
Citation: Stacey, G., Vodkin, L., Parrott, W.A., Shoemaker, R.C. 2004. National science foundation-sponsored workshop report: draft plan for soybean genomics. Plant Physiology. 135:59-70.

Interpretive Summary: The soybean research community is represented by a diverse group of interests and research areas. In order to take advantage of federal funding opportunities it is important to narrowly identify research priorities. In October, 2003, a group of scientists met and identified and ranked research priorities for soybean. The highest priority was given to understanding the structure and organization of the soybean genome. In this paper the authors synthesize the current status of soybean genetic research and report to the rest of the research community the results of the workshop. This report will provide a guideline for funding agencies to define funding priorities and will provide a road map for researchers wishing to contribute to legume genomic research.

Technical Abstract: Recent efforts to coordinate and define a research strategy for soybean genomics began with the establishment of a Soybean Genetics Executive Committee, which will serve as a communication focal point between the soybean research community and granting agencies. Secondly, a workshop was held to define a strategy to incorporate existing tools into a framework for advancing soybean genomics research. This workshop identified and ranked research priorities essential to making more informed decisions as to how to proceed with large scale sequencing and other genomics efforts. Most critical among these was a) the need to finalize a physical map; and b) obtain a better understanding of genome microstructure. Addressing these research needs will require pilot work on new technologies to demonstrate an ability to discriminate between recently duplicated regions in the soybean genome and pilot projects to analyze an adequate amount of random genome sequence to identify and catalog common repeats. The development of additional markers, reverse genetics tools, and bioinformatics is also necessary. Successful implementation of these goals will require close coordination among various working groups.