MASC has its origin in the 1990s and was founded by a group of dedicated Arabidopsis researchers
Today 34 countries are involved in MASC actions and global progress is published in the annual MASC report and documented on this website!
MASC subcommittees coordinate collaborative large-scale projects initiated by MASC members
MASC oversees the organisation of 'The International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR)'MASC annual reports
One of MASC's major goals is to strengthen international cooperation. Through the combined efforts promoted by MASC, more progress in Arabidopsis research is achieved and redundancy is reduced. Since 1990, Arabidopsis researchers and representatives from community projects and resources regularly report their progress and reccommend future directions in Arabidopsis research. Since 2002 the annual Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee (MASC) report is compiled by MASC chairs and coordinator and published at the International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR).
Below you can find download links to past MASC reports.
3rd Roadmap (2012-)
The Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee - From Bench to Bountiful Harvests
MASC Report 2022-2023: Download here.
MASC Report 2021-2022: Download here
MASC Report: 2020/2021: From Bench to Bountiful Harvests- Annual Report of the Mulltinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
MASC Report 2019/2020: From Bench to Bountiful Harvests- Annual Report of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
MASC Report 2018/2019: From Bench to Bountiful Harvests- Annual Report of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
MASC Report 2017/2018: From Bench to Bountiful Harvests- Annual Report of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
MASC Report 2016/2017: From Bench to Bountiful Harvests - Annual Report of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
MASC Report 2015/2016: From Bench to Bountiful Harvests - Annual Report of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
MASC Report 2014/2015: From Bench to Bountiful Harvests - Annual Report of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
MASC Report 2013/2014: From Bench to Bountiful Harvests - Annual Report of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
MASC Report 2013: From Bench to Bountiful Harvests - Annual Report of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
MASC Report 2012: 2020 Roadmap - From bench to bountiful harvests
2nd Roadmap (2002-2011)
The Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee - Beyond the Whole Genome Sequence
MASC Report 2011: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project
MASC Report 2010: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project
MASC Report 2009: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project
MASC Report 2008: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project
MASC Report 2007: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project
MASC Report 2006: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project
MASC Report 2005: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project
MASC Report 2004: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project
MASC Report 2003: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project
MASC Report 2002: The Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Functional Genomics Project - Beyond the Whole Genome Sequence
1st Roadmap (1990-2001)
Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Genome Research Project
Documents & Articles
Here you can also find important publications and reports in which MASC members were major contributors. These include scientific publications as well as reports and reccommendations formulated during and after community meetings and workshops organized by MASC members all over the world. Specific topics are covered during these meetings, ranging from general community efforts to project specific workshops that are organized by e.g. MASC subcommittees.
Road Map related Articles
> Provart NJ, Brady SM, Parry G, Schmitz RJ, Queitsch C, Bonetta D, Waese J, Schneeberger K, Loraine AE. Anno genominis XX: 20 years of Arabidopsis genomics. Plant Cell. 2021 doi: 10.1093/plcell/koaa038
> Parry G, Provart NJ, Brady SM, Uzilday B (2020) Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee. Current status of the multinational Arabidopsis community. Plant Direct. doi: 10.1002/pld3.248
> Nicholas Provart et al. (2016) 50 years of Arabidopsis research: highlights and future directions. New Phytologist 209(3):921-44.
> Irene Lavagi, Mark Estelle, Wolfram Weckwerth, Jim Beynon and Ruth M. Bastow (2012) From Bench to Bountiful Harvests: A Road Map for the Next Decade of Arabidopsis Research, The Plant Cell June 2012 vol. 24 no. 6 2240-2247.
> Summary of Arabidopsis Bioinformatic Survey (2010). PDF.
> Summary of findings from Arabidopsis Bioinformatic Survey (2018). PDF. Presentation on the survey from Nick Provart at ICAR2018 PDF
> NAASC Survey regarding future ICAR meetings (2018). Summary of findings: In Brief PDF More detailed PDF
> The Arabidopsis Genome Initiative (2000) Analysis of the genome sequence of the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana, Nature 408, 796-815. PMID:11130711.
> Update of MASC Activities from 2019 Annual Meeting. Prepared by Nick Provart.
Workshop Reports
3rd Roadmap
EU 2020 European Vision for Plant Science [Download PDF]
The workshop aimed to map a way forward for plant science in the next decade, by looking at the current major challenges facing biology and investigating how plants, particularly Arabidopsis, could provide solutions to these challenges.
2020 Vision for Biology: The Role of Plants in Addressing Grand Challenges in Biology [Download PDF]
Report from an NSF-sponsored workshop held January 3-5, 2008 that focused on the future directions for plant research, with special emphasis on the role of the reference species Arabidopsis in uncovering fundamental biological principles that will enable us to face future challenges to our well-being and that of the global environment.
A workshop summary was published by Natasha Raikhel: Raikhel, N. (2008) 2020 Vision for Biology: The Role of Plants in Addressing Grand Challenges in Biology, Mol. Plant (2008)1(4): 561-563. PMID: 19825561
The Next Generation of Training for Arabidopsis Researchers: Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology.
Here, we discuss guidelines, skill sets, and core competencies that should be considered when developing curricula or training undergraduate or graduate students, postdoctoral, researchers, and faculty. A selected case study provides more specificity as to the concrete issues plant biologists face and how best to address such challenges.
Friesner et al (2017) Plant Physiology https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.17.01490 PDF for download
2nd Roadmap
Plant Cyberinfrastructure Workshop Report [Download PDF].
An outline for the next stage of the functional genomics research landscape. Report from an NSF-sponsored workshop held on October 17-18, 2005 documents the need and goals for a plant cyberinfrastructure for facilitating the synthesis of new biological insights from all available functional genomics data.
Mid-course Evaluation of 2010 Program [Download PDF]
Report on the NSF 2010 Evaluation workshop held August 25-26, 2005 in Arlington, VA.
Data Integration Within the International Arabidopsis Community [Download PDF]
Report from the NSF workshop held April 18-19, 2005 at TIGR in Rockville, MD.
Functional Genomics and the Virtual Plant [Download PDF] [Link to TAIR]
A blueprint for understanding how plants are built and how to improve them. Report from an NSF-sponsored workshop (Jan. 13-14, 2000 at the Salk Institute in San Diego, CA) to discuss the feasibility of commencing a publicly-funded program (AT2010) to determine the function of all Arabidopsis genes during the next decade, using a systems approach, and sets the goals for functional genomics research.
1st Roadmap
Realizing the Potential of Plant Genomics: From Model Systems to the Understanding of Diversity [Link to NSF site]
Report (published in April, 1999) from the NSF-sponsored 'New Directions in Plant Biological Research' workshop held November 23 & 24, 1998 at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Plant Biology, Stanford University.
Long-range Plan for the Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Genome Reseearch Project [Download PDF]
This report (published in 1990) culminated from 4 NSF-sponsored workshops and input from the international research community at the Fourth International Arabidopsis Conference held in Vienna, in 1990.