Open System - the new GSC
(Genomic Sciences research Complex)
--Towards the Integrated Genomics--
This announcement is an open call to all researchers who are working to develop integrated genomics.
RIKEN GSC (Genomic Sciences Center) was established in October 1998 as part of a major life science project in Japan. Over the next 10 years, the center successfully fulfilled its role, generating a great number of outstanding research performances1. In April 2008, GSC was divided into a number of centers and groups and a division2, each with its own research mandate.
With this rearrangement, RIKEN decided to set up a virtual organization, GSC (Genomic Sciences research Complex), to loosely combine all of the units in RIKEN related to integrated genomics. The new GSC was named by RIKEN President Dr. Ryoji Noyori, and Dr. Akiyoshi Wada was assigned as its first head. Dr. Wada has established the new GSC’s guiding principles3.
The genomic sciences are based on information contained in the genome, and they play a great role in the life sciences. Even so, genomic sciences are still in their infancy.
The full worth of genomic sciences comes not only from determination of genome sequences but also by providing an understanding of life systems by vertical analysis of various omics data—what we refer to as omic space analysis4.
Integrated genomics will be realized through a combination of omic space analysis and a systems approach.
The new GSC is an open virtual system, and will accept as a member any person who wishes to develop integrated genomics and agrees with the basic principles outlined by Dr. Wada.
Our aims are to establish a community for sharing information and transmitting information to the public.
We envision that the new GSC will catalyze and contribute to the development of the genomic sciences long-term and globally, and we look forward to your consideration, participation, collaboration, assistance, guidance and encouragement.
October 2008, Planning members of the new GSC
Genomic Sciences research Complex
URL：http://www.gsc.riken.jp/eng/index.html
オープンシステム 新GSCの展開
ゲノム科学研究の発展に向けて
この呼びかけは、ゲノム科学の総合的な発展を願う国内外の多くの研究者・関係者に向けられたものであります。
1998年10月に発足した理化学研究所ゲノム科学総合研究センターGSC(Genomic Sciences Center) は、日本を代表する世界の中の1拠点として活躍し、2008年春に10年間の役割を終え1、解散しました。そして引き続きいくつかの新たな組織2に発展し、それぞれの使命をもって研究を展開し始めております。
それらをゆるく連携する形で、理研内にバーチャル組織としてGSC(Genomic Sciences research Complex) －和田昭允組織長（理研研究顧問）、命名 野依良治理研理事長－が、発足しました3。
今私どもは、この新GSCをオープンシステムとして発展させていきたいと考えています。
ゲノムを基点（起点）とするゲノム科学のアプローチが生命科学の中で重要な一角を占めることは明らかであります。このゲノム科学の歴史は短くまだ始まったばかりと言えます。ゲノム科学はゲノムDNA配列を読みとるだけでなく、その後の各種オミックスデータを統合したオミックスペース解析4をすることによって生命のシステムを理解していくことでその真価が発揮されます。正にこの展開が始まっています。そしてまたゲノム科学は国際的な協力なしには進みません5。
新GSCはオープンなバーチャル組織であります。今後どなたでも参加して頂きその輪が内外に広がって行くことを希望します。その際 組織の理念の共有が最も大切です。その上で「情報の共有」と「情報の発信」を展開して行きたいと考えます。
新GSCが 長期的・国際的な視点で、この分野の発展に貢献していくための礎になれればと願っております。
多くの皆様のご理解・ご参加・ご協力・ご支援・ご指導・ご鞭撻を切望致します。
2008年10月 新GSC 発起人一同
Genomic Sciences research Complex
URL：http://www.gsc.riken.jp/jpn/index.html
1) Ten years at GSC (Genomic Sciences Center) http://www.gsc.riken.jp/eng/ayumi/02.html
1) 成果報告 http://www.gsc.riken.jp/jpn/ayumi/02.html
2) New Research Centers and Division and Groups
2) 新組織
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Genome Exploration Research Group 遺伝子構造・機能研究グループ |
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Protein Research Group タンパク質基盤研究グループ |
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Functional Genomics Research Group ゲノム情報機能研究グループ |
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Plant Functional Genomics Research Group 植物ゲノム機能情報研究グループ |
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Computational and Experimental Systems Biology Group システム情報生物学研究グループ |
RIKEN Advance Science Institute, |
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Computational and Experimental Systems Biology Group, オミックス情報統合化研究チーム |
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3) Message by Dr. Akiyoshi Wada
Genomic Sciences Research Complex - its significance for Japan's future
3) 和田昭允組織長あいさつ
Genomic Sciences Research Complex ― 日本の将来に持つ意味
4) From Omics space analyses to the understanding of life as biological systems
4) オミックスペース解析から生命システム理解へ
The genomic sciences are not limited to sequencing and analyzing DNA; they also aim to understand biological systems using genome-wide omics data such as transcriptomes, proteomes, metabolomes and phenomes.
Professor Akiyoshi Wada, the first director of the Genomic Sciences Center, emphasized the importance of omic space analysis and the necessity of creating genome-wide information infrastructures containing that would last for many years as unspoiled data. Using this core concept, GSC had six groups researching genomes, genes, proteins, animals, plants and informatics. Dr. Yoshiyuki Sakaki, the second GSC director, made strides in the direction of systems biology by adding several systems analysis groups.
5) Major examples of international projects related to the genomic sciences
(From the list of the Genome Funders Meeting in October 2007)
- Human Genome Project
- International Structural Genomics Organization
- International HapMap Project
- International Rice Genome Project
- ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) Project
- Genome Network Project
- Human Microbiome Project
- International Cancer Genome Consortium
- Genome-wide Association Studies
- 1000 Human Genomes Project
- Protein Ligand Initiative
- International Barcode of Life cBOL/iBOL
RIKEN Yokohama Institute’s Global-Scale Contribution to Biosciences
- Human Genome Project (1991 - 2005)
- Omic Space (Proposed by RIKEN-GSC, 2003)
- Genome Network Project (2004 - 2009)
- FANTOM (Functional Annotation of Mouse cDNA) (2001 - )
- ENCODE (2007 - )
- Protein 3000 Project (2002 - 2006)
- ISGO (International Structural Genomics Organization)
- National BioResource Project (2002 - 2010)
- The Mouse ENU-mutagenesis Program
- International HapMap Project (2002 - 2005)
- International Collaborative SNP Research (2007 -)
- International projects on whole genomic functions of Arabidopsis
- The Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic and Research Center in Asia for Primary Immunodeficiencies (2007 - )