Workflow
Projects will proceed in three distinct phases. The first phase is to contact the program manger to set up a meeting to explore the significance of the mutations, the feasibility of carrying out molecular studies and the cost and time scale of generating model organisms. For example, has the protein or a protein homolog been expressed and purified? is there a structure of a close member in the family? This exploratory phase is critical in determining the experimental and computational overhead.
Once a plan is in place, the program staff will generate a task flow chart that will outline the sequence of steps, the facilities to be used, and the effort distribution. For newly initiated projects, we will focus on helping PIs generate preliminary data for grant applications.