Funding for Tsetse Genome Sequencing in the USA

Neil Hall

TIGR (soon to be renamed JCVI) But I am soon to be leaving to go to The University of Liverpool anyway

Genomics funding in the US

• All (99.9%) of medical sequencing is funded by two NIH contracts.– Microbial Sequencing Contact – TIGR, Broad.– National Human Genome Research Institute,

TIGR/JCVI, Broad, WashU, Agencourt, Baylor• MSC – Pathogens, parasites, Vectors

– But has turned down a white paper on Glossina • NHGRI – Models and genomes of evolutionary

importance. • Pathogen and vector databases funded through

the NIAID-BRCs

Informatics funded through MSC and BRCs

Changes to NHGRI Mission

• Three centers not five

• Must promote “new sequencing technology”

• Previous award involved understanding the human genome.

• Now it must address “human health”

• Will now actively seek to sequence pathogens, parasites and vectors

Getting your genome sequenced

• White papers must give a rational and a strategy

Caveats

• NHGRI will give your genome to someone you don’t know.

• Sequence will be generated but no informatics is funded.

• The timescale is dictated by NHGRI• Must coordinate with the Sanger.• Must make a rational argument for a finished

sequence. – Why is 3x not enough!