The overarching goal of the project is to computationally reconstruct the gene regulatory network in immune cells .
The ImmGen project began in 2008, as a collaboration between several immunology and computational biology laboratories across the United States, and will be completing its second phase on 2017.
[citation needed] The first aim of ImmGen is to generate a compendium of whole-genome transcriptional profiles (initially by microarray, now mostly by RNA-sequencing) for nearly all characterized cell populations of the adaptive and innate immune systems in the mouse, at major stages of differentiation and activation.
[citation needed] Participating Immunology laboratories include: The Brenner (NKT, BWH, Boston), Goldrath (Activated CD8 T cells, UCSD, San Diego), Kang (gamma delta T cells, U.
[citation needed] Tragically, Richard (Randy) Hardy (Fox Chase, Philadelphia), who was an ImmGen member since its initiation, passed away in June 2016.