British research council launches consultation

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is launching a consultation on Next Generation Sequencing Technologies. The council is seeking comments from individuals and organizations from the UK’s academic and industrial research community about the potential impacts that these technologies can have on research in biosciences.

The BBSRC Strategy Advisory Board recently undertook a horizon scanning exercise, ahead of the development of a workplan for the board. The board noted that sequencing is getting cheaper and easier, that the latest generation of technologies means that it is now easier to produce sequence data and that this will have major implications for bioscience research in areas such as comparative genomics, bioprospecting and biodiversity research.

The board concluded that they need to consider new scientific opportunities and new ways of working arising from these technologies and that a review was needed to identify key biological questions that these technologies will make it possible to address.

The consultation will feed into a review process undertaken by an expert panel for Next Generation Sequencing, which will report to the BBSRC Strategy Advisory Board in late 2009. BBSRC will then take this forward to develop a strategy for ensuring effective uptake of next generation sequencing technologies in biosciences research.

The deadline for responses is 9 August 2009.

Visit the BBSRC website to take part.