News Notes

Next Up for Gene Sequencing: Zebrafish Sequencing of the zebrafish genome will aid annotation of the human genome and facilitate gene identification. Already a widely used genetics animal model, the zebrafish will soon join the ranks of organisms whose genomes have been sequenced, thus boosting the popular aquarium pet's research value even more. The Sanger Centre of Cambridge, U.K., announced on Nov. 21 that it would head zebrafish-sequencing efforts, scheduled to begin in February or March of 2001 and to be completed within three years. Researchers hope to have a draft of the genome, approximately 85 percent coverage, within one year. In the fall of 1997, the National Institutes of Health began funding various zebrafish genome-mapping efforts at several genome centers as part of a "Trans-NIH zebrafish initiative." Projects include finding microsatellite markers, which help construct a genetic map, finding expressed sequence tags, which help to link physical and genetic maps, and building a radiation hybrid (RH) map to help confirm whether candidate genes are responsible for observed mutations. "All of that infrastructure is really great in terms of having a mutant and being able to candidate clone or positionally clone genes," explains Leonard Zon, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and the leader of RH efforts at Boston Children's Hospital. "But the definitive way to study a genome is to sequence the entire genome." The Sanger sequence will tie together the genetic, physical, and RH maps and greatly accelerate the cloning of mutant genes. And, in conjunction with the soon-to-be-complete sequenced mouse and puffer fish genomes, it will also help annotate the human genome. Drafts of the puffer fish genome, which contains an amazingly tiny fraction of junk DNA, and the mouse genome will be carried out by early next year. The Department of Energy (see also, "Production Genomics," page 1) will head up the puffer fish project, announced in late October; mouse-sequencing efforts are being conducted by a consortium of academic and pharmaceutical partners (E. Russo, "Stepping up mouse sequencing," The Scientist, 14[22]:12, Nov. 13, 2000). Because of the early evolutionary divergence of humans from zebrafish and puffer fish, the sequence comparisons will facilitate the highlighting of crucial, conserved genes. "Having a spectrum of different vertebrate genome sequences will help us get a better handle on the functional information in the genomes of all of these organisms," says Richard Durbin, head of informatics at the Sanger Centre. Zebrafish sequence data will be released to a future Web site linked to the Sanger Centre's (www.sanger.ac.uk). --Eugene Russo S.E.E.ing the Future through NSF As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the National Science Foundation brought together a mix of scientists, engineers, and educators to discuss the direction of science policy at a conference at Dartmouth College. Held Nov. 10-15, the conference, called "S.E.E.ing the Future" (Science, Engineering, and Education), is one of a series of NSF anniversary events. Convened by Mae C. Jemison, astronaut, physician, and director of The Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology in Developing Countries at Dartmouth, the meeting aimed to develop a set of criteria that could be used to evaluate science and technology and allocate support among different areas or fields. Participants came from a range of age groups and backgrounds; they included Robert M. Franklin Jr., the president of the Atlanta-based Interdenominational Theological Center, Linda Nozick, associate professor at the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, and National Medal of Science laureate Paul Lauterbur, a professor of biophysics, chemistry, and computational biology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. "What was unique about the group ... was its grassroots nature," says conference participant Steve Nelson, associate director for science and policy programs at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "This wasn't the usual collection of science policy professionals, nor university presidents." Organizers hope to use the conference discussion as the basis for a white paper on science and technology policy to be made public next year. --Eugene Russo

News Notes

Next Up for Gene Sequencing: Zebrafish

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