UNDP与中国合作实施GEF生物多样性项目的成就与经验

全球环境基金(GEF)作为《生物多样性公约》财务机制的运行主体,已在全球范围内实施了7个周期,各国在执行GEF项目期间,遇到了可持续性不强、项目设计方案复杂、期望过高等挑战.作为GEF的国际实施机构,联合国开发计划署(UNDP)与中国政府合作,针对各项挑战,采取综合应对措施,优化设计与实施的生物多样性项目取得了系列成就...     

The genetics of complex diseases

Genetic factors influence virtually every human disorder, determining disease susceptibility or resistance and interactions with environmental factors. Our recent successes in the genetic mapping and identification of the molecular basis of mendelian traits have been remarkable. Now, attention is rapidly shifting to more-complex, and more-prevalent, genetic disorders and traits that involve multiple genes and environmental effects, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and schizophrenia. Rather than being due to specific and relatively rare mutations, complex diseases and traits result principally from genetic variation that is relatively common in the general population. Unfortunately, despite extensive efforts by many groups, only a few genetic regions and genes involved in complex diseases have been identified. Completion of the human genome sequence will be a seminal accomplishment, but it will not provide an immediate solution to the genetics of complex traits.     

Current LCA database development in Japan -results of the LCA project

In 1998, the Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) launched a five-year national project entitled ‘Development of Life Cycle Impact Assessment for Products’ (commonly known as ‘the LCA Project’). The purpose of the project is to develop common LCA methodology as well as a highly reliable database that can be shared in Japan. Activities over these five years have resulted in the supply of LCI data on some 250 products. Industrial associations voluntarily provided data. The results of these activities are currently being made available on the Internet on a trial basis in the form of an LCA database. In addition, a method entitled ‘Life-cycle Impact assessment Method based on Endpoint modeling (LIME)’ was developed. It is expected that these results will be widely used in Japan in the future. This paper presents an outline of the results of the research and development that has been conducted in the LCA Project in Japan.     

Parasites are GO

The Malaria Genome Sequencing Consortium Meeting was held on 5–6 June 2001 in Cambridge, UK, and was followed by a workshop discussing the generation of new parasite-specific gene ontology (GO) terms. Present at the meeting, which focused primarily on malaria, were representatives from the research community, the sequencing centres, including the Sanger Centre (Cambridge, UK) and The Institute for Genome Research (TIGR; Rockville, MD, USA), the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI; Cambridge, UK), Plasmo DB and the GO consortium (Cambridge, UK).     

Viewing and annotating sequence data with Artemis

Artemis is a widely used software tool for annotating and viewing sequence data. No database is required to use Artemis. Instead, individual sequence data files can be analysed with little or no formatting, making it particularly suited to the study of small genomes and chromosomes, and straightforward for a novice user to get started. Since its release in 1999, Artemis has been used to annotate a diverse collection of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes, ranging from Streptomyces coelicolor to, more recently, a large proportion of the Plasmodium falciparum genome. Artemis allows annotated genomes to be easily browsed and makes it simple to add useful biological information to raw sequence data. This paper gives an overview of some of the features of Artemis and includes how it facilitates manual gene prediction and can provide an overview of entire chromosomes or small compact genomes--useful for uncovering unusual features such as pathogenicity islands.     

人类基因组多样性保护与伦理学和法律问题初探

人类基因组计划（ｈｕｍａｎ ｇｅｎｏｍｅ ｐｒｏｊｅｃｔ,ＨＧＰ）不研究中的一项重要内容－－基因组研究中的社会学、伦理学和法律问题已引起了我们的普遍关注。本文针对基因组多样性保护中所涉及的人类本身的生存与发展、人与自然及与其他物种的相互关系中的伦理道德的法律问题进行初步探讨。     

973项目与国家重点实验室互动模式探讨

本文着重阐述了国家重点基础研究项目(973项目)与国家重点实验室互动的专业特性和管理特性,并通过以国家973创伤项目与创伤烧伤与复合伤国家重点实验室在人才、实验设备、科技资源共享方面的运行模式,初步总结其管理、合作、互动的有利建设经验,有望更好地提高国家资源的整体整合,并为适应新世纪学科发展,对加强群体创新和组织管理创新进行了有益的思考。     

NMR structure and functional characterization of a human cancer-related nucleoside triphosphatase

A screen of the human cancer genome anatomy project (CGAP) database was performed to search for new proteins involved in tumorigenesis. The resulting hits were further screened for recombinant expression, solubility and protein aggregation, which led to the identification of the previously unknown human cancer-related (HCR) protein encoded by the mRNA NM_032324 as a target for structure determination by NMR. The three-dimensional structure of the protein in its complex with ATPgammaS forms a three-layered alpha/beta sandwich, with a central nine-stranded beta-sheet surrounded by five alpha-helices. Sequence and three-dimensional structure comparisons with AAA+ ATPases revealed the presence of Walker A (GPPGVGKT) and Walker B (VCVIDEIG) motifs. Using 1D (31)P-NMR spectroscopy and a coupled enzymatic assay for the determination of inorganic phosphate, we showed that the purified recombinant protein is active as a non-specific nucleoside triphosphatase, with k(cat)=7.6x10(-3) s(-1). The structural basis for the enzymatic activity of HCR-NTPase was further characterized by site-directed mutagenesis of the Walker B motif, which further contributes to making the HCR-NTPase an attractive new target for further biochemical characterization in the context of its presumed role in human tumorigenesis.     

重大工程建设项目竣工验收工作中的环境监测

以辽宁省环境监测中心站配合国家环境保护总局评估中心进行的金哨水利枢纽工程竣工环境保护验收调查为例,论述了环境监测在重大工程建设项目验收调查中的重要作用,提出了项目验收监测工作的程序,认为重大工程建设项目的监测从项目开始就应列入计划,通过监测与监督,使施工期的环境污染问题降至最低限度,这样才能更好地保护生态环境及周围公众的安全健康.