Modelling the future of gene expression studies
The 'Design study for the creation of a gene expression analysis centre for early human development' (DGEMAP) project proposed the establishment of a new research infrastructure to enable an all-encompassing approach to gene expression studies during early human development. By bringing together the necessary facilities and resources, and defining the actual working set-up, ethical base and technologies needed, the research community will have all the tools and services it needs in one centre of competence. DGEMAP set out to assess how feasible it would be to establish a network of GRID-linked sites for the analysis and interpretation of results. The study aimed to evaluate the needs and viability of such a European-scale research centre as science progresses in identifying more and more genes. The 52-month design study project studied the MRC-Welcome Trust Human Developmental Biology Resource (HDBR) as a potential model for the centre. HDBR offers services as both a tissue bank and a provider of gene expression data. Included in its scope of investigation were the need for supportive and comparative technologies, both locally and remotely, and the development of an online database for making information accessible to an international research community. Also, relevant training programmes were considered, especially for young researchers and those from less advantaged areas of Europe. Project partners have championed such a research infrastructure as a means of driving EU research in this field to global leadership status. Funded under the Structuring the European Research Area specific programme Research Infrastructures Action, the multidisciplinary DGEMAP team was jointly run by Newcastle University and the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.
