Navigating the Translational Researcher Through a Complex of Animal and Biological Resources - March 6-7, 2006

Workshop Summary

On March 6-7, 2006, the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) sponsored a workshop entitled, Navigating the Translational Researcher Through a Complex of Animal and Biological Resources, at the NIH Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The purpose of the workshop was to explore approaches for developing a resource that would enable researchers to find and to use animal and other biological resources more efficiently than is currently available. The specific objectives were to identify the user community and its needs; determine the nature and ideal characteristics of the resource; describe the range of expertise needed to staff and support the resource; and ensure that this translational resource will evolve in concert with the science and technology that it provides. The 50 workshop participants included animal researchers, clinical/translational science researchers, resource managers/developers, industry (e.g., pharmaceuticals), NIH intramural and extramural staff, and other DHHS agency stakeholders.

The workshop began with presentations from NIH-supported researchers who provided an overview of current animal model databases and resources that are available and described some of their current limitations. Then, during breakout sessions, participants brainstormed ideas to the following five questions:

1. Who are the intended and potential users of the new resource? What tasks are they performing and what are their needs, particularly in translational science?

2. What are the characteristics of this new resource that will best serve the users' needs?

3. What framework for animal model systems is most appropriate to serve as the basis for this new resource that will also support later development? Possibilities might include one or more disease categories, body or organ systems or tissues, etc.

4. How can currently available resources and distributed systems information technology projects be leveraged to develop the new shared infrastructure?

5. What are the requirements of a cyberinfrastructure framework for animal model systems that are most critical in order to provide a foundation for this new resource that will also support rapid technological elaboration and expanded use?

A final workshop report is available.

For more information, please contact: Dr. Harold Watson (watsonh@mail.nih.gov) or Dr. Carol Bean (cabean@mail.nih.gov).