Join the Genome Center
We invite all UC Davis faculty who are interested in genomics research to consider becoming Members of the Genome Center.
The Genome Center
The UC Davis Genome Center, located in the Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, provides state-of-the-art genomics technologies to enhance the research of all campus faculty who wish to use such approaches. Genomics is interpreted broadly to embrace multiple levels of global analysis, including proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics. A second objective of the Genome Center is to promote and coordinate genomics-related research on campus.
We oversee technology service cores for DNA technologies and expression analysis, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics. Services are provided based on recharge rates that reflect the actual cost of doing the analysis, thus providing cost-effective access to these technologies. These services are also available to off-campus users if we have extra capacity. In most cases, services involve Genome Center staff performing high-throughput, quality-controlled analyses of user-provided samples. For certain technologies, there are opportunities to train on and use equipment separate from that used by Genome Center staff. Please contact the core managers if you have any questions.
Faculty Affiliation with the Genome Center
There are three levels of faculty participation in the Genome Center:
- Genome Center Faculty
- Genome Center Members
- Occasional ad hoc users
There are currently 20 resident and 24 non-resident Genome Center faculty members that belong to 22 departments within six schools and colleges. The role of Genome Center Faculty, in addition to performing their own research, is to provide leadership in technology development and implementation. All faculty on campus that are actively engaged in genomics research — as judged by the criteria below — may become Genome Center Members. The third level of participation are ad hoc users that only require occasional access to the service cores (which are available to all campus faculty at the same recharge rates).
Benefits of Membership
Genome Center Members have the opportunity to provide input into the development of the Genome Center, particularly with respect to the technology service cores. This will primarily be through a Genomics Advisory Committee, comprised of six faculty members — selected from and by Genome Center Members — who represent the diversity of genomics interests on campus. This committee is expected to meet at least twice per year to review and provide input into the development of the Genome Center as well as genomics on campus in general. One member from the Genomics Advisory Committee will be invited to attend the monthly Genome Center Faculty meetings to represent the campus faculty.
In addition, each technology service core has an oversight committee comprising Genome Center Faculty and Members who are major users of that particular service core. Members will be invited to participate in events organized by the Genome Center designed to encourage collaborative genomics-related research across campus.
The Genome Center will provide Members with supporting documentation to assist in the submission of grant proposals. Genome Center Members will also have the opportunity to participate in training and research grants coordinated by the Genome Center and will have web-based access to applications from students and postdocs who apply through the Genome Center website.
Application for Membership
Initially, Genome Center Members will be self-selecting. All UC Davis faculty who feel they fulfill the criteria below and who wish to join may do so. In order to maintain an active membership, after one year and every three years thereafter, Members will be reviewed by the Genomics Advisory Committee according to the following criteria:
- Evidence of an active research program. Membership will require demonstration of an active research program in an area of genomics or bioinformatics. Evidence of an active program includes the training of students in genomics or bioinformatics>, the publication of genomics research in peer-reviewed journals and the ability to obtain extramural funds sufficient for the maintenance of an active research program in genomics and/or bioinformatics.
- Service in the development of genomics on campus. Active participation in the activities and administration of genomics on campus, including but not limited to one or more of the following: service on Genome Center committees, involvement in recruitment of Genome Center faculty and staff, active participation in genomics-related seminar programs, and/or teaching in genomics-related courses.
For this initial membership, please submit the following as e-mail attachments to Ernie Hoftyzer (eahoftyzer@ucdavis.edu):
- A brief curriculum vitae (two pages maximum). Please use keywords to describe the genomics and bioinformatics resources that you currently use.
- A description of services that you anticipate using and/or would like the Genome Center to develop. Please add links to personal and lab webpages (if any). This information will be used to develop a webpage of genomics researchers at Davis. If this information is already web accessible, please indicate your interest in being a Genome Center Member and direct us to your website.
Rather than develop a separate database, we will utilize the one administered by the CBS Dean’s office to minimize redundancy and the problems of keeping the information current. Please visit the College of Biological Sciences Faculty Directory and login to initiate or update your entry. You will need your Kerberos ID and passphrase. Under ‘research interests’ please describe the specific genomics aspects of your research. You will not be considered a Genome Center Member until this entry is completed.