PROJECT SUMMARY – OVERALL We will build on our existing infrastructure, expertise, and track-record to form the Drosophila Research and Screening Center-Biomedical Technology Research Resource (DRSC-BTRR). Our overall goal will be to help researchers realize the full potential of Drosophila as a model for the study of human health and disease, and as a model of medically-relevant insects such as mosquito vectors of infectious disease. The DRSC-BTRR will develop state-of-the-art tools and methods in three technology areas: (1) development of functional genomics technologies for Drosophila cell-based and in vivo studies (including CRISPR-Cas9 technologies); (2) application of functional genomic and proteomic technologies to mosquito vectors of human diseases; and (3) development of in vivo proteomics technologies for Drosophila. We will develop the technologies through iterative rounds of development, testing, and improvement together with a set of driving biomedical projects that can benefit from application of the technologies. To further extend the impact of the technologies, we will engage in community activities that inform a broad audience and rapidly disseminate technologies to other facilities to ensure long-term access. Altogether, we will serve as an integrated, collaborative resource engaging in projects with strong potential for impact in areas that are of interest to several NIH institutes, including fundamental cell and organismal biology, developmental biology, cancer therapeutics, rare genetic disorders, and mosquito-borne diseases.

PROJECT NARRATIVE – OVERALL This project builds on our existing infrastructure, expertise, and track-record to form the Drosophila Research and Screening Center-Biomedical Technology Research Resource (DRSC-BTRR) at Harvard Medical School. We will focus on technology development in the areas of functional genomics and proteomics in Drosophila and mosquito vectors of disease, working together with collaborators and the community to ensure that relevant technologies are developed, improved, applied to a broad set of biomedical projects, and disseminated to ensure long-term access.