IRRI names winners of 3K Allele Mining competition

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) announced the winning teams of the 3K Allele Mining competition on 13 February. The top three teams are:

• First place: Tom Ishimaru, Kazu Sasaki, and Yohei Koid (Heading date)
• Second place: Hsiang Chun Lin, Frances Nikki Borja, and Samart Wanchana (SNP of 3K chloroplast genomes).  
• Third place: Nikki Borja, Il Ryong Choi, and Jun Ulat (Tungro resistance to RTSV).   

IRRI launched the competition on 15 December 2014 to encourage young researchers to explore the 3000 Rice Genomes Project SNP-Seek database. Twenty participating teams, involving 45 mostly young researchers and students, were given two months to extract allele for the rice trait of their choice from the germplasm in the International Rice Genebank.

The panel of judges who reviewed and evaluated their presentation includes Rod Wing, AXA endowed chair scientist and computational bilologist; Ken McNally, senior scientist, (Bioinformatics); Nickolai Alexandrov, senior scientist (Bioinformatics); Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton, senior scientist, evolutionary biologist and head of TTC GRC; Ramil Mauleon, scientist, bioinformatics specialist; and Chitra Raghavan, scientist, (Plant breeding).

IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler, lauded the competition and encouraged young researchers to participate, present their ideas, step out of their comfort zone, and learn from different viewpoints.  “These are essential elements to engage in science and to develop a scientific career,” he said.

The photo of the winners includes: Tom Ishimaru (representing the first place team),  Samart Wanchana, Hsiang Chun Lin, and Frances Nikki Borja (the second place team), and Jun Ulat (representing the third place team). Ms. Borja was also a member of the third place team.

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