Scalable Computational Methods for the Analysis of High-Throughput Biological Data

Abstract

This primary focus of this research project is elucidating genetic regulatory mechanisms that control an organismAƒÂ¢A‚€A‚™s responses to low-dose ionizing radiation. Although low doses (at most ten centigrays) are not lethal to humans, they elicit a highly complex physiological response, with the ultimate outcome in terms of risk to human health unknown. The tools of molecular biology and computational science will be harnessed to study coordinated changes in gene expression that orchestrate the mechanisms a cell uses to manage the radiation stimulus. High performance implementations of novel algorithms that exploit the principles of fixed-parameter tractability will be used to extract gene sets suggestive of co-regulation. Genomic mining will be performed to scrutinize, winnow and highlight the most promising gene sets for more detailed investigation. The overall goal is to increase our understanding of the health risks associated with exposures to low levels of radiation.