Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

LOS ALTOS, CA - October 10, 2014 - The Genetic Information Research Institute (GIRI) announced today that it has appointed two new editors to Repbase Reports, an e-journal devoted to organizing, studying, and archiving the diverse and rapidly growing information on repetitive DNA elements. The journal and Repbase Update, the fundamental database of mobile DNA elements, were developed and previously maintained by the recently deceased Dr. Jerzy Jurka, the Institute's founder and pioneer in the field of mobile DNA. Drs. Weidong Bao and Kenji Kojima, who worked alongside Dr. Jurka for several years, will be responsible for maintaining these valuable scientific resources going forward as co-Editors.

"The Repbase resources are invaluable to the mobile DNA research community as well as to the rapidly expanding genomics fields, and we are honored to be able to continue Dr. Jurka's legacy," said Dr. Bao. "As we move forward, we are looking to more actively engage our current community of users as well as a new generation of genomic scientists by encouraging more direct interaction concerning our evolving mission."

Dr. Bao has been a staff scientist and database curator at GIRI since 2008. Prior, he was a research assistant at the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Bao worked on the Human Genome Project at the BGI from 1999-2002. Dr. Bao received his Masters of Science and his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Kojima has been a staff scientist and database curator at GIRI since 2009. Prior, he held positions as a research fellow at several institutions in Japan, including the Tokyo Institute of Technology's Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Frontier Sciences and Kyoto University's Institute for Chemical Research, where he was also a postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Kojima received his Masters of Integrated Biosciences and his Ph.D. in Frontier Sciences from the University of Tokyo.

"I look forward to the challenges of assuming and maintaining GIRI's position and responsibility as the preeminent resource for mobile DNA data and science," said Dr. Kojima. "We are committed to the high standards for which GIRI has been known."

Dr. Tim Hunkapiller, GIRI Board member and genomic scientist commented: "I think Drs. Bao and Kojima are excellent choices to carry on the legacy of Dr. Jurka and GIRI. The community will be well served, and the Board certainly supports a robust role for GIRI in the new genomics-driven world."

About Repbase Reports
Repbase Reports (ISSN# 1534-830X) was established in 2001 by Genetic Information Research Institute (GIRI) and is published monthly. The journal publishes consensus sequences of new repetitive families and subfamilies as well as short descriptions of these sequences and adequate references. All contributions are peer-reviewed.

About the Genetic Information Research Institute
The Genetic Information Research Institute (GIRI), founded in 1994, is a private, nonprofit institution devoted to the study and characterization of repetitive or mobile DNA elements in eukaryotic species. The Institute maintains and develops Repbase Update (RU), a database of representative repetitive sequences from different eukaryotic species. RU is being used worldwide as the reference standard for annotating the presence of repetitive DNA in genomic data. Discovering and outlining their presence and distribution can be critical in interpreting the function and evolution of genomes in both research and clinical contexts. GIRI publishes Repbase Reports, a monthly e-journal reporting newly identified repetitive DNA elements, which are subsequently stored and shared in RU. Computational tools (RepbaseSubmitter and Censor), and online submission and screening services are also provided by GIRI. For more information visit www.girinst.org.

For Inquiries Contact:
info@girinst.org