Discussion Meeting
International Mouse Mutagenesis Consortium
London, Feb 4, 2002

Purpose of meeting

• Review the proposed IMMC plan, in the light of current scientific efforts and funding commitments
• Discuss the practical implications of achieving the proposed goals, including identifying the needs for development of key new technologies
• Discuss timescales with respect to current technologies and potential future improved technologies, setting outline targets
• Review the likely increased funding commitments that will need to be sought to implement a timely plan
• Discuss the mechanisms for international co-ordination of activities

Key Conlusions, Recommendations, and Actions

Mutagenesis

Recommendation

• to undertake a balanced portfolio of approaches

Gene Driven

1. Sperm/ES cell bank Timeline: 3-5 years
   - consider organisation of mutation detection, ES and sperm archives and balance of distributed and centralised resources/services
2. ES cell gene trap resource Timeline: 3-5 years
3. ES cell targeted mutation resource - preferably conditional Timeline: 10 years

Phenotype driven

4. Continued ENU screens
5. Balancers for all chromosomes Timeline: 5 years plus

Note: Mutants are the building blocks for sensitised screens

Action

• establish a group (Allan Bradley) to look at costs and international co-ordination

Phenotyping

Recommendations

• Continued development of integrated production and distribution centres, but with a strong parallel focus on the dissemination of ENU and associated technologies. Though genotyping and mapping facilities will often be incorporated into production centres, a strong network should allow genotyping/phenotyping labs to develop outside of the production centres.
• Ensure improved networking that will enhance integrated training from mutant generation to gene identification

Actions

• Establish SOP workshops (Steve Brown) viz. generalised EUMORPHIA model of workshops
• Improve networking and communication between and outwith community - physiologists, biologists, pathologists, clinicians and technology developers as key participants in SOP workshops (see above)
• Examine the delivery of gene cloning and sequencing facilities and technologies, as an important underpinning to phenotype driven screens (Joe Nadeau)
• Establish a public-private relationship in networking and communication (J. Nadeau, to be initiated through the Mutagenesis Meeting, Washington, July 2002)

Archiving and Distribution

Recommendation

• Distribution of frozen material is preferable and the promulgation of IVF/Embryo transfer expertise as a standard skill in mouse facilities should be encouraged

Actions

• Increase number of training courses in IVF/Embryo transfer (JAX, Harwell, GSF, Oak Ridge)
• Develop clear standards for community archives (Martin Hrabe de Angelis) Timeline: 2 years
• Develop mechanisms for ensuring ongoing funding for archives worldwide (continuing discussions within IMMC)
• Develop the IMSR to incorporate other major archives outside of JAX/Harwell (Janan Eppig) Timeline: 1 year

Informatics

Recommendations

• Develop a single integrated mutant database
• Develop the use of IDs for all mutants
• Develop and apply a controlled vocabulary to mutant phenotypes

Actions

• Submission of mutants to community archives dependent upon ID number assignments (all major archives to liaise with JAX) Timeline: 1 year
• Apply vocabulary to all mutants in community archives (JAX) Timeline: 1-2 years
• Ensure that Phenotyping SOPs make use of controlled vocabulary (see Phenotype working groups above)