Research Infrastructure: Sustaining the ABRC: Arabidopsis genomic and genetic seed and DNA stocks

A new award is made to Ohio State University to support the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC). The ABRC mission is to collect, preserve, reproduce, and distribute resources related to the plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) for use in research and education. Arabidopsis is an important plant model and results from Arabidopsis research inform research and development in other living systems including crop plants, animals, and even humans.

The ABRC maintains a collection of over a million resources derived from Arabidopsis and closely related plants. Important and frequently requested resources include seed lines collected from around the world representing the full spectrum of natural variation in Arabidopsis, and seed lines with induced mutations in almost every Arabidopsis gene for investigating gene function.

These resources were developed by researchers in the US and around the world and are catalogued and stored in optimal conditions. The ABRC actively promotes the use of Arabidopsis in plant science education. Local K-12 students are served via in-school programming and field trips to ABRC laboratories and growth facilities.

Teachers utilizing Greening the Classroom and TRAINED education kits, or using Arabidopsis to develop their own protocols, receive in-person or remote support. Public outreach includes participation in WestFest, a science and sustainability festival hosted at The Ohio State University, as well as activity booths at The Ohio State Fair, and the Big Science Celebration festival at the Columbus science museum, Center of Science and Industry (COSI).

The ABRC’s long-term goals are: 1) to provide cutting-edge biological resources to the Arabidopsis and broader plant science community at an accessible price, 2) to maintain the existing collection to ensure continued access to high quality resources, 3) to continue to add to the collection though acquisition of Arabidopsis resources projected to be highly requested and new types of resources based on the needs of the community, 4) to provide free access to curated stock information, and 5) to continue the role of ABRC as a resource for education and outreach. Materials and bioinformatic information supplied by the ABRC to the plant research community ensure adequate resources are available worldwide and offers the most comprehensive Arabidopsis seed and DNA stocks in the world.

The ABRC maintains a web site, accessed by approximately 2,000 users per week, providing access to information and a platform for ordering Arabidopsis resources. Close to 100,000 samples are shipped each year to researchers and educators in the US and 82 other countries.

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.