INTERNATIONAL WHEAT GENOME SEQUENCING CONSORTIUM (IWGSC) www.wheatgenome.org. [p. 9-11]

The mission of the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium is to advance agricultural research for wheat production and utilization by developing DNA-based tools and resources that result from the complete sequence of the common (hexaploid) wheat genome and to ensure that these tools and the sequence are available for all to use without restriction and without cost. Information in this report can be found at the IWGSC website: www.wheatgenome.org.

Purpose of the IWGSC.

The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) is a collaboration focused on building the foundation for advancing agricultural research for wheat production and utilization by developing DNA-based tools and resources that result from the complete genome sequence of common (hexaploid) wheat. The IWGSC was established to facilitate and coördinate international efforts toward obtaining the complete sequence of the common wheat genome. To this end, the IWGSC will continue to refine the strategic roadmap, integrate existing international resources, and develop a sequencing strategy that will capture international participation and a broad funding base.

Membership in the IWGSC is open to any individual, laboratory, or entity with an active interest in meeting the objectives of the IWGSC; that can contribute substantially to this effort in resource development, sequence activity, annotation, scientific expertise, or funding; and that agrees to comply with the guidelines and spirit of this agreement.

Update on principal activities related to the IWGSC.

Overall project goals.

The goals of the IWGSC project are to advocate in the U.S. and internationally for sequencing the wheat genome; to facilitate international coöperation; to cošrdinate the scientific efforts to position wheat as the next major species for sequencing; and to secure funding from various international and domestic sources for the sequencing of the wheat genome. Eversole Associates provides leadership, strategic planning, coördination, management, and advocacy activities for the IWGSC.

Project progress.

Since the March update, progress has continued towards meeting the objectives of the IWGSC strategic roadmap to lay the foundation for sequencing the hexaploid wheat genome. Over the past few months, the following events were held:

• April 2007 - An IWGSC business meeting was held in conjunction with the International Triticeae Mapping Initiative (ITMI) in Israel.
• April 2007 - The Executive Director met with officials from the Czech Republic to solicit funding support for wheat genomics and for the IWGSC.
• May 2007 - The Executive Director attended a meeting in Montpellier with the board of directors of the AACC International (cereal chemists organization comprised mostly of industry).
• May 2007 - The Executive DIrector attended the Genomes to Biology meeting at Cold Spring Harbor with several of the IWGSC leaders and met with the leaders of the major international sequencing centers.
• May 2007 - Brief meetings with the President/CEO of GenomeCanada and with the Chief Scientific Officer of Genome Alberta. physical maps of chromosomes 1A, 1B, and 3D of wheat and 1H and 3H of barley that will complement on-going projects on 3A and 3B and the proposed project in the U.S. on chromosome 1D to achieve complete physical maps of the group-1 and -3 chromosomes.
• Australian Initiative for developing physical maps of the group-7 chromosomes. Funding expected to equal as much as $3 million USD with a decision in 2007. A successful workshop with industry, State governments, federal governmental departments, and federal funding agencies was held in May 2007 to ensure strong support for an Australian initiative. We continue to expect the development of the initiative to be finalized by the end of 2007.
• A proposal submitted to the Turkish government to develop a physical map of chromosome 5D was approved and the proposal was forwarded to the European Young Investigators program. Unfortunately, it was not funded at the European level. Efforts will now focus on seeking funding for the project directly from funding agencies of the Turkish government.
• Proposal in progress for submission to the Italian government for funding to develop the physical map of chromosome 5A, continuing.
• Efforts are continuing in the U.K. to develop a physical map of chromosome 5B.
• Efforts are underway to develop a Chinese proposal and secure funding for a project to make a physical map of chromosomes 2A, 2B, and 2D.

The following is an updated list of the IWGSC meetings and workshops that will be held or attended during the remainder of 2007:

• June 2007 - 'Genomics in Business' meeting in Europe for potential partners and for meetings with developers of the new sequencing technologies.
• July 2007 - U.S. National Academy of Sciences meeting on the future direction of the U.S. National Plant Genome Initiative.
• October 2007 - IWGSC business meeting held in conjunction with the PlantGEM meeting in Spain.
• Late autumn 2007 - IWGSC cošrdinating committee meeting (location to be determined) with focus on sponsors and industry.

The international collaboration of countries working on sequencing the wheat genome.

IWGSC scientists from Australia, France, Italy, the People's Republic of China, Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union are resposible for constructing physical maps of individual chromosomes or chromosome arms of the wheat genome.