Understanding the relationship between an organism’s DNA (the genome) and the set of phenotypic characteristics that result from genomic expression (the phenome) is a central challenge in biology. High throughput sequencing and phenotypic data from multiple species provides an opportunity for comparative analysis of genome to phenome data. Under the direction of Carl Schmidt at the University of Delaware, we are part of a newly NSF-funded Research Collaboration Network (RCN): the Animal Genome to Phenome Network (AG2PN).  The objective of the AG2PN is to promote comparative analysis of vertebrate and invertebrate animals to enrich our understanding of the relationship between genomes and phenomes. The AG2PN will bring together groups using diverse experimental approaches to understand how the genome ultimately manifests the phenome. The AG2PN will provide tools necessary for scientists to exploit comparative genomics approaches to understand genome to phenome relationships. In addition, the activities of the G2PN will provide training for undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the science of comparative biology and genome to phenome relationships.

AG2PN members meeting at U. Delaware, (left to right): Karen Burnett, Carl Schmidt (at far table), Jill Johnson, Jonathon Stillman, Sunetra Das, Fiona McCarthy

AG2PN members (left to right): Jill Johnson, Jonathon Stillman, Don Mykles, Sunetra Das