Final report of the GARNet Advisory Committee on Arabidopsis Systems Biology in the UK, June 2006.

Biological research using Arabidopsis thaliana is adopting systems approaches in some areas. Arabidopsis researchers must build the capacity for systems analysis, if the UK’s strength in Arabidopsis biology is to be reflected in sub-systems models that, ultimately, will contribute to a whole-plant model. The committee’s key recommendations for new initiatives in the UK are:
• A distributed, 4-year PhD training school in Arabidopsis systems biology, with central facilities
• Mechanisms to support early-stage theoretical research involving Arabidopsis research groups
• A £5M networked research activity including multiple Arabidopsis research groups
• Mechanisms to support the acquisition of reference data sets in plant systems biology.
In addition, existing mechanisms should fund networking with theoreticians and with plant scientists modelling at larger scales, demonstration projects in plant systems biology, and the development of new tools and technologies particularly for data acquisition from single, homogeneous cell types.