Bioscience Briefing
For info about biomedical funding, animal research and other bioscience issues, click here.
Science Policy Announcements
For the latest news from the APS Science Policy click here.
Resource Book Now Available
Click here for more info on The APS Resource Book for the Design of Animal Exercise Protocols.
Systems and Integrative Biology:
a Collaborative Approach to Translational Research
APS submitted this proposal on November 17th, 2006 in response to an NIH request for information regarding the next generation of NIH Roadmap projects.
Obstacle/Opportunity/Need/Challenge statement:
Research into the fundamental molecular components of life has provided the raw materials for understanding the functions of cells, tissues, organ systems, whole organisms and even populations. However, despite tremendous gains in biomedical research there remains a need to apply the findings of molecular biology to organisms in all of their physiological complexity. Doing so will lead to a better understanding of human health and disease, and facilitate the development of new treatments and prevention strategies. To bridge this knowledge gap, we propose a Systems and Integrative Biology (SIB) plan that involves broad coordination of research and training efforts between scientists working at various levels of biological complexity.
Proposal:
Bringing together reductionist approaches to biological processes with research into whole organism functioning will transform biomedical research and enable strides in translational research. Infrastructure building, investigator-initiated research and training will all be necessary investments for the enterprise in the long-term.
Animal models are a critical step when moving from basic, in vitro or in silico experiments to human disease research. Any SIB initiative should support the development of animal models of disease, as well as building infrastructure such as animal housing and new technologies such as live animal imaging. We propose a series of National Research Centers that will support research and training for work with animal models, both small and large. While work with mouse models has generated substantial gains, there is still a need to train investigators to make physiological measurements in such models. Further, mice do not faithfully mimic all aspects of human disease and thus capacity to use larger animal models must be sustained.
The current NIH structure favors proposals that fall neatly under the mission of single institutes. Integrative proposals may be difficult to categorize, leading to lower success rates. In addition, the complexity of the research often mandates a longer period of time to generate definitive results as compared to other experimental systems. A Roadmap initiative would address these challenges by supporting investigator-initiated SIB research. Resources should be provided for collaborations among physiology, pharmacology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics, among others. By supporting the uniquely collaborative field of integrative biology, a Roadmap initiative will allow researchers to advance their careers and train others, thereby further establishing their presence in the scientific community. When the initiative phases out, the progress made should have established the promise and validity of the research, encouraging more scientists to pursue this area.
Currently researchers are trained to approach biological problems at a reductionist level, but in order to confirm insights and apply findings from less complex systems (i.e. in vitro models) to whole organisms, researchers need to develop a set of skills that combines knowledge of molecular biology with in vivo systems. The key to bridging this knowledge gap lies in providing training programs and opportunities in SIB. Education should focus on bringing together scientists with diverse skills and expertise to exchange knowledge, i.e. scientists who focus on the description of molecular events would benefit from working with researchers who define mechanisms in animal models and vice versa. The next generation of researchers will need diverse skills to carry out translational research, bridging basic and clinical science. Training should be offered at all levels, from undergraduate to continuing professional education.
Rationale:
A successful SIB initiative will enhance the research enterprise by facilitating collaboration between disciplines and moving translational research forward. One of the overarching goals in biomedical research is to use basic research findings to improve human health. By incorporating studies of biological functioning at the molecular level into the larger context of organ systems, whole animals, and even human subjects translational research will be advanced dramatically. The outcomes of the proposed initiative will benefit the missions of all NIH institutes and centers by creating a generation of researchers with diverse skills and collaborative research programs. Because the proposed initiative depends on researchers, both basic and clinical, from diverse fields working together, it would be difficult for any one institute or center to fund making it an appropriate and ideal candidate for a Roadmap initiative.
Back to Comments Archive