Mathematical Sciences: Statistical Problems in Genetics and Molecular Biology

该项目的总体目标是将现代统计学的工具和技术应用于遗传学和分子生物学的各种问题。该项目的具体目标是：（一）根据从杂交细胞系评分中获得的数据，开发一种适当的统计模型和分析方法，以确定一组给定的DNA标记中哪些来自同一染色体;（二）扩大和改进旨在确定克隆DNA片段重叠的统计方法;（iii）发展精确的统计方法，根据氨基酸序列识别新蛋白质与已知结构或结构基序的相似性;（iv）扩展线性不变量理论，用于一般的系统发育推断;（v）推导病毒基因组进化的统计模型;及（vi）发展人类群体中某些重复DNA元件进化的统计模型。 该项目的目的是开发和使用统计方法来分析各种形式的分子遗传数据。 范围将包括收集的关于个人、单染色体、克隆的小DNA片段、蛋白质的氨基酸序列和基因的DNA序列的数据。这些数据总是表现出某种形式的随机性，这是由其收集方式、DNA在基因组中的位置以及分子的进化历史造成的。需要统计学方法来科普这种随机性，并允许对诸如染色体上遗传标记或其他标记的相对或绝对位置以及基因或基因组进化的性质等问题进行推断。

The project's general aim is to bring the tools and techniques of modern statistics to bear on a variety of problems from genetics and molecular biology. The specific objectives of this project are (i) to develop a suitable statistical model and method of analysis for determining which of a given set of DNA markers come from the same chromosome, based on data obtained from scoring hybrid cell lines; (ii) to extend and refine statistical methods designed to ascertain overlap of cloned DNA fragments; (iii) to develop accurate statistical methods for recognizing the resemblance of a new protein to a known structure or structural motif, on the basis of its amino acid sequence; (iv) to extend the theory of linear invariants for use in general phylogenetic inference; (v) to derive statistical models for the evolution of viral genomes; and (vi) to develop a statistical model for the evolution of certain repetitive DNA elements in human populations. The aim of this project is to develop and use statistical methods for analysing a variety of forms of molecular genetic data. Included in the scope will be data collected on individuals, on single chromosomes, on small cloned DNA fragments, on amino acid sequences of proteins, and on DNA sequences of genes. Such data invariably exhibits some form of randomness, arising from its manner of collection, the location of the DNA in the genome, and the evolutionary history of the molecules. Statistical methods are needed to cope with this randomness, and to permit inferences to be made concerning questions such as the relative or absolute location of genetic or other markers on the chromosomes, and the nature of the evolution of the genes or genomes.