About the Beta Cell Biology Consortium
Jump to: Mission, Objectives, Description, Policies, Committees, External Advisory Board, Investigators
Mission
The mission of the Beta Cell Biology Consortium (BCBC) is to facilitate interdisciplinary approaches that will advance our understanding of pancreatic islet development and function with the long-term goal of developing a cell-based therapy for insulin delivery.
Objectives
The scientific goals for the BCBC are to (1) understand the developmental pathways required to produce a fully functioning pancreatic islet (Beta Cell Development), (2) to understand the mechanisms of beta cell regeneration in adult animation and human islets (Beta Cell Regeneration), and (3) to understand the nature of stem/progenitor cells during normal pancreatic development and in adult pancreatic islets (Stem Cell Biology).
Description
The Beta Cell Biology Consortium (BCBC) is a team science initiative that was established by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in 2001 (RFA DK-01-014), and competitively continued in 2005 (RFA’s DK-01-17, DK-01-18). Currently, the BCBC consists of 29 scientists, the majority of whom participate as either Principal or Co-Principal Investigators on eight U-01 and two U-19 projects. In addition, scientists from two intramural NIDDK laboratories are involved.
Activities within the BCBC are overseen by both NIDDK staff members and participating scientists. A Steering Committee, which consists of all Principal Investigators, meets on a semi-annual basis. An Executive Committee meets monthly by teleconference. An External Advisory Board serves to provide objective scientific input and guidance.
A Coordinating Center located at Vanderbilt University provides the organizational infrastructure for the BCBC. Its primary objectives are to 1) facilitate interactions and communication by organizing meetings and retreats, distributing announcements, and maintaining a website with databases of vital research resources; 2) support research within the BCBC by organizing core facilities and, when necessary, developing new cores; 3) jumpstart new research by young investigators through a Pilot and Feasibility (P&F) Grant Program; and 4) bring different groups of scientists together within the BCBC through a Program of Collaborative Bridging Projects.
Many of the BCBC investigator-initiated projects involve reagent-generating activities that will benefit the larger scientific community. The combination of programs and activities that, together comprise the BCBC, should accelerate the pace of major new discoveries and progress within the field of beta cell biology.
Policies
Scientists participating in the Beta Cell Biology Consortium (BCBC) have agreed to freely share transgenic animals, reagents (antibodies and other), data, and expertise prior to publication. The BCBC is committed to fostering the careers of junior investigators, so that everyone associated with the BCBC benefits scientifically and in terms of career development. Moreover, whenever possible, it is expected that there will be cooperation between groups performing similar studies so as to minimize the duplication of research effort. Outlined below are the specific policies and guidelines regarding data and reagent sharing between BCBC-funded participants, and between the BCBC and the research community.
The BCBC requires the sharing of all new mouse strains, reagents and data with other BCBC-funded participants prior to the initial peer-reviewed publication describing development of the resource, reagent or data. Sharing with other BCBC members prior to publication will be considered a collaboration, and will require 1) the written consent of the originating investigator, 2) agreement by the collaborating investigator to co-authorship status with the originator on the initial publication utilizing the new resource, and 3) a statement that there will be no transfer of the new resource to a third party without the written permission from the originator. The BCBC is committed to ensuring free and unencumbered sharing of information and resources within the consortium. Individuals found to be in breach of BCBC sharing policies may be subject to sanctions, including possible termination of their U19/U01 award by the NIDDK.
Ownership of ES Cell Lines, Mice, and Renewable Resources. One year after the creation of a new resource (ES cell clone, mouse strain, antibody, modified cell line, DNA construct, viral vector, protocol, or any other new reagent) or following the characterization and initial peer-reviewed publication announcing its development, whichever comes first, the resource will be freely distributed to investigators at academic institutions who want to make use of the resource for non-commercial research. ‘Freely distributed” is defined as unencumbered distribution patterned after practices of NIH-sponsored repositories, where distribution is carried out without regard to the requestor’s identity or experimental designs.
Distribution. The BCBC core facility or BCBC investigator responsible for generating the resource will be responsible for distribution to investigators prior to its submission to a central repository. The Executive Committee of the BCBC reserves the right to transfer mice generated with BCBC funds directly to an NIH supported mouse repository, such as the MMRRC (www.mmrrc.org) for the purpose of immediate cryopreservation. The Executive Committee of the BCBC also reserves the right to transfer specific renewable resources such as DNA constructs, monoclonal antibodies, genetically modified cell lines, and viruses for the purpose of facilitating distribution within the BCBC and to the scientific community at large.
Information about new resources developed by the BCBC will be posted on the BCBC website as soon as they become available. Additionally, all mice developed through the BCBC will be posted at the International Mouse Strain Resource (IMSR).
Sharing of Mice
Release and Licensing. Following the characterization and initial peer-reviewed publication announcing development of the modified mouse strain, mice will be freely distributed to investigators at academic institutions wanting mice for non-commercial research. We define “freely distributed” as an unencumbered distribution patterned after practices of NIH-sponsored repositories, where distribution is carried out without regard to the requestor’s identity or experimental designs. Individual requests for shipment of mice generated by this program to AAALAC (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International) accredited institutions will be honored. The recipient investigators will provide written assurance and evidence that the animals will be used solely in accord with their local IACUC review; that animals will not be further distributed by the recipient without consent of the BCBC investigator who generated the mouse strain; and that animals will not be used for commercial purposes.
Distribution Plan. All modified mouse strains that are generated by BCBC funding will be deposited at an NIH supported mouse repository, such as the MMRRC (www.mmrrc.org). NIH supported repositories cryopreserve embryos or sperm and distribute the frozen embryos or mice to biomedical researchers.
Mouse Nomemclature and Husbandry. BCBC investigators will use standard nomenclature and receive approval from the Mouse Genome Informatic (MGI) nomenclature committee. To facilitate sharing and distribution of the transgenic/knockout mice and associated resources developed by the BCBC, mice will be maintained in a specific pathogen free facility. This facility will maintain the mice free of specific micro-organisms and pathogens (e.g. pinworms, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), Sendai virus, mycoplasma, mites, etc.). Should the transgenic/knockout mice become infected with any of these micro-organisms, requestors will be made aware of the contamination within the line and mice will be re-derived through embryo transfer prior to shipment.
Sharing of Reagents and Intellectual Property Issues. Other research tools generated through BCBC funding, including renewable resources such as DNA constructs, monoclonal antibodies, genetically modified cell lines, etc., will be freely distributed upon request to qualified academic investigators for use in non-commercial research. BCBC investigators will adhere to the NIH Grants Policy on Sharing of Unique Research Resources including the “Sharing of Biomedical Research Resources: Principles and Guidelines for Recipients of NIH Grants and Contracts” issued in December, 1999. Specifically, material transfers would be made using the Simple Letter Agreement and without reach-through requirements. Should any intellectual property arise which requires a patent, we would ensure that the technology remains widely available to the research community in accordance with the NIH Principles and Guidelines document.
BCBC Committees
Olivier Blondel - NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
Gerard Gradwohl - Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC)
Mark Magnuson - Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Carol Haft - NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
Sheryl Sato - NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
Phil Smith - NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
Ken Zaret - Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
Voting Members
Olivier Blondel – NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
Markus Grompe - Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
Pedro Herrera – University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Gordon Keller - Ontario Cancer Center, Toronto, Canada
Mark Magnuson - Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Doug Melton - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Palle Serup - Hagedorn, Gentofte, Denmark
Lori Sussel - Columbia University, New York, NY
Ken Zaret - Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia,PA
Non-Voting Members, Intramural
Marvin
Gershengorn - NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
David
Harlan - NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
NIDDK Staff (Ex-Officio)
Carol Haft - NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
Sheryl
Sato - NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
Phil
Smith - NIDDK, Bethesda, MD
JDRF Representative
Adrianne Wong - JDRF, New York, NY
External Advisory Board
Sally Camper - University of Michigan
Pituitary, hair cells and skeletal development
Ira Fox - University of Pittsburgh
Transplant surgery (liver and pancreas), stem cell therapies for liver diseases
Ron Kahn - Joslin Diabetes Center
Type-2 Diabetes
Ihor Lemischka - Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Fetal liver and adult bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells
Danny Pipeleers - Brussels Free University
Biology and pathology of pancreatic beta cells, islet transplantation
John Quackenbush - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Computational biology and bioinformatics
Geoff Rosenfeld - University of California, San Diego
Sensors and signals, transcriptional co-activator and co-repressor complexes, neural stem cells
Massimo Trucco - University of Pittsburgh
Etiology of T1D (autoimmunity), beta-cell apoptosis, derivation of islets from pigs, exploitation of adult stem cells for endocrine pancreas regeneration
Harald Von Boehmer - Harvard Medical School
T-Cell development
Irving Weissman - Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Biology and evolution of stem cells and progenitor cells, mainly blood-forming and brain-forming
Investigators
Please follow the link below to view a current list of participating investigators.
