• RatGTEx portal is live! RatGTEx portal provides gene expression and eQTL data for different rat tissues.

We are creating the RatGTEx portal to provide gene expression and eQTL data for different rat tissues. The pilot version of this portal is available at ratgtex.org. In addition to data downloads, it has interactive visualizations that can display results for queried genes, variants, and tissues. It will specify a standard processing pipeline and data formats … Read more…

• Dr. Palmer and Dr. Leah Solberg Woods presented at the Quantitative Genomics for Space Biology Workshop

Dr. Palmer and Dr. Leah Solberg Woods presented at the Quantitative Genomics for Space Biology Workshop on May 26, 2021. Exploration of deep space by humans requires a better understanding of how multiple environmental factors encountered during spaceflight (e.g., radiation, microgravity, altered atmospheric composition) impact biological systems including astronauts, plants, and relevant microbiomes. The goal … Read more…

• Olivier George, PhD is featured by several media outlets

 “Two Novel Biobanks Offer Investigatory Targets for Cocaine and Oxycodone Addiction,” features Olivier George, PhD. UC Health – UC San DiegoTwo Novel Biobanks Offer Investigatory Targets for Cocaine and Oxycodone AddictionResearchers have created to novel biobanks of diverse tissues from animals to further explore the biological bases and consequences of addiction to cocaine and oxycodone. News-Medical.netNew … Read more…

Summer 2021: Research Experiences for High School and Undergraduate Students

The Research Experiences for High School and Undergraduate Students (REHU) program of the P50 Genes & Addiction NIDA Center for GWAS in Outbred Rats provided four participants an opportunity to conduct 10-week summer research projects with their mentors in three laboratories of the Center. In addition, REHU students attended journal club, wrote a research paper, … Read more…

• New rat genome assembly mRatNor1 is finished and available

You can find the mRatNor1.1 assembly at ftp://ftp.sanger.ac.uk/pub/users/kj2/Darwin. The files are: mRatNor1_1.curated_primary.20200424.facontaining the primary assembly. The scaffold names need to be translated using  mRatNor1_1.chromosome.list.csvwhere the entries refer to <scaffold_name>,<chr_name>,<yes if it’s the main part of the chromosome/no if it’s an unlocalised part of the chromosome>  mRatNor1_1.all_haplotigs.20200424.faContains the alternative assembly. CAVEAT: This is the current assembly not … Read more…

• 2020 pilot grants awarded

Congratulations to the 2020 Pilot Grants recipients: Francesca Telese, PhD (University of California – San Diego).Project: “Creating the dataset for TWAS in HS rats”. Paul Meyer, PhD (University at Buffalo).Project: “Genetic substrates of heroin’s motivational effects”. Giordano DeGuglielmo, PhD (University of California – San Diego).Project: “Characterization of addiction-like behaviors in alcohol-dependent rats”. Olivia Osborn, PhD (University of California – … Read more…

• Updates related to COVID19

COVID-19 pandemic affected projects and programs performed by this Center as follows: 1) The Research Projects 1-3 have been temporarily shut down, because phenotyping work is not conducive to social distancing.2) The Research Project 4 is ongoing; bioinformaticians are working from homes. 3) The HS rats colony (Breeding Core) is being maintained/preserved, and expected to … Read more…