A combined bioinformatics and molecular biological approach for the identification ofpost-transcriptional recoding events in the human transcriptome

The delineation of whole genome sequences including the human genome have opened up new avenues to study biological phenomena using combined computational and experimental methods. Novel, fundamental questions about diversity and complexity in nature have also arisen from the obtained genomic information. For example, the tremendous complexity of higher organisms, in particular humans, cannot be explained by the number of genetic building blocks present in genomes when comparing primitive species, such as worms and flies, to mammals and primates.

 

Our interdisciplinary team will apply our substantial experience in computer science, computational biology as well as the molecular biology of RNA editing to mine sequence databases to uncover genes that are subject to modification by RNA editing. RNA editing is a natural phenomenon that allows organisms to produce many more functional molecules than what would be predicted from analyzing the genome.

 

We are developing a multi-stage software platform that will allow us to mine sequence databases to uncover genes that are subject to modification by RNA editing. The computational work is closely linked to experimental work using mammalian specimen to validate candidate targets and to address how editing regulates gene function.