This stream is no Longer Active.

Full Stream Name: Gene Detectives An In Silico Exploration of the Genetic Basis for Human Disease

Principal Investigator: Robin Gutell

How do human genes vary from one individual to another? How do these variations change who we are and how our bodies function?

The first human genome sequence was published in 2000; it took ten years and cost 300 million dollars. Today a human genome can be sequenced in a day for around 2,000 dollars. The low cost of genetic sequencing is creating vast amounts of data that is the basis for the new scientific discipline - computational biology. Inquiries and other analysis are searching for associations and mappings between nucleic acid and protein sequences and all aspects of biology. Students in the Gene Detectives stream will focus on the human condition, using publicly available genome sequences to study the relationships between gene sequences, protein sequences, biological function, and disease. Recent advancements in computer technology enable the rapid analysis of these sequences from humans and other organisms that span the entire tree of life. Students in the Gene Detectives stream will use these computational resources to analyze biological sequence data to make new contributions to science.