Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research: Biological Collections: Growth and Development of the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center

The Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC) at The Ohio State University stores, amplifies and distributes seeds, plasmid clones and other resources of Arabidopsis thaliana, a key model system for plant research. These have included DNA libraries, cDNA collections, various mutant seed populations and germ plasm from across the globe that represent the immense natural genetic variation of the species.

For 30-years, the ABRC has had a global role in facilitating essential and fundamental plant research. ABRC resources have promoted discovery in photosynthesis and all aspects of plant development that have been instrumental in promoting agricultural improvement, green technology, and basic medical research. This award will support the ABRC's core mission to inexpensively distribute DNA and seed resources to the plant biology community, and to support plant science education by providing seeds and teaching resources free-of-charge to K-12 teachers.

This project continues the mission of the ABRC to enlarge and expand the collection though acquisition of new resources while at the same time increasing the efficiency of the operation. Substantial outreach and education efforts will allow the ABRC to be a leader in local, national and international outreach and education, providing opportunities to inspire and train future generations of plant scientists.

This project will maintain and increase the current high levels of resource distribution, particularly for seed stocks. The ABRC will maintain quality control testing with an emphasis on stocks that are ordered frequently, stocks in long term storage, and those known to require special storage conditions. The Center will expand the collection through the collaborative inclusion of additional Brassicaceae species, especially Thlaspi arvense (pennycress), a species that has potential oil crop and biodiesel applications.

Outreach activities, both local and national, will include the development and solicitation of new education resources and that expands the reach of our successful outreach programming.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.