WTSI costs associated with "Immune function and pathology dissected by high throughput analysis of mice with targeted gene disruptions - an investigation by the Infection and Immunity Immunophenotyping (3I) consortium"

In innate immunity, germline-encoded gene-products provide essential frontline generic defenses against pathogens. In vertebrates, innate immunity also initiates adaptive immunity that provides highly pathogen-specific protection; anticipatory reactivities to emerging pathogens; memory responses that pre-empt symptoms upon re-infection; and immunoprotection passively transferred to neonates. While such proficiencies are the goal of vaccine development, their dysregulation provokes autoimmune d iseases, allergies and tissue inflammation associated with pathologies as diverse as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and neurodegeneration. Reflecting this, immunology is more deeply and more broadly studied than ever before. Nonetheless, fundamental mechanisms remain to be discovered. To this end, 1000 mouse strains with mutations in defined genes will be subjected to practical, economical, immunological screens. The results will deepen our understanding of genes implicated in immunology; wil l expose novel immunological roles for genes being studied for other reasons such as disease-association; will be germane to cell, developmental, and systems biology; and by correlation with phenotypes in other areas of physiology, will provide new perspectives on complex human disease. The strain mutations will be prioritised by the immunology community, thereby enhancing unbiased screening with hypothesis-testing. Importantly, community involvement via open-access data-releases and bulletins will maximize the interpretation and the prompt, in-depth follow-up of our findings.