Japanese sequencers feel neglected

Nature で、指導的DNA研究者によるDNA研究開発政策への批判がなされたことが紹介されたので一部引用する。

"Shimizu, professor of molecular biology at Keio, says the government is "attempting to skip sequencing" to focus on functional genomics. The shift to post-sequencing research, including the analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms and full-length complementary DNA, reflects Japan's concern over its limited sequencing capacity (see Nature 399, 96;1999)."

" According to Matsubara, the current system, under which different ministries carry out individual genome projects, has wasted money and made the allocation of funding unclear. "By the time the money is split among five different ministries, there seems to be very little left for actual research," he said at last week's press conference."

" Despite the launch of a genome-research centre at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) last year, Shimizu says this has caused the allocation of funding to become biased. Although RIKEN and Keio University are sequencing 20 per cent of chromosome 21, "the money has all gone to RIKEN, and we have to make do with just seven sequencers and no funding increase," he says."

                                          ASAKO SAEGUSA