ITR/SY Molecular Computation in Ciliates

本研究将集中于分子生物学、计算机科学和进化之间的相互作用，以探索一种复杂的生物信息处理形式：次毛纤毛虫的基因解码。长期目标是开发一种多学科的方法来解决这个问题，使我们能够利用这个生物过程作为计算工具。本研究结合了三种方法，首先提高了我们对这一现象的功能、机制和逻辑的理解。具体来说，本研究将基因解码作为一种模型系统来探索纤毛虫复杂基因重排的机制、这些过程的进化步骤，以及它们在体内解决复杂计算问题的能力。该奖项的影响将是计算科学的新思想和新方向涌入复杂生物系统的研究，涉及纤毛原生动物的程序化基因组重排，最终目标是利用这一过程进行体内计算。

This research will focus on the interplay between molecular biology, computer science, and evolution to probe a complex form of biological information processing: gene unscrambling in hypotrichous ciliates. The long term goal is to develop a multidisciplinary approach to this problem that will enable us to tap into this biological process as a computational tool. The proposed research combines three approaches that first improve our understanding of the function, mechanism and logic of this phenomenon. Specifically, this proposal uses gene unscrambling as a model system to explore the mechanisms underlying complex gene rearrangements in ciliates the steps through which these processes have evolved, and their capacity to solve hard computational problems in vivo. The impact of the award would be an influx of new ideas and direction from computational sciences into the study of a complex biological system involving programmed genome rearrangements in ciliated protozoa, with the ultimate goal of harnessing the process for the purpose of performing in vivo computation.