Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biological Informatics for FY 2006

这一行动为NSF 2006财年生物信息学博士后研究奖学金提供了资金。该奖学金支持生物学与信息科学、计算科学、数学科学和统计科学交叉的博士后水平的研究和培训。该研究金的目标是为一名青年科学家提供培训，为从事生物信息学的职业做准备，在生物信息学中将把研究和教育结合起来。各个职业层次对生物信息学的培训需求日益增加，预计通过这些奖学金培训的研究员将在培训未来的劳动力方面发挥重要作用。该奖学金的研究和培训计划题为“灵长类基因剪接进化的计算和实验分析”。尽管我们的基因组序列与我们最近的近亲黑猩猩的基因组序列大约98%相同，但人类和其他灵长类动物之间存在着重要的生物学差异。这项研究涉及设计和使用灵长类剪接微阵列来研究基因功能调节中潜在差异的一个重要来源--选择性剪接。这些实验有助于揭示灵长类动物的遗传图谱是如何被用来产生物种特有的替代异构体图谱的，这些遗传图谱在物种之间基本相同。研究培训机会包括剪接阵列开发、数据库管理和分析以及分子进化。与马克斯·普朗克分子人类学研究所(MPI-EVA)的一个跨学科的国际小组合作也提供了独特的培训和教学机会。在MPI-EVA各部门之间交流研究成果为研究员提供了磨练科学沟通技能的机会，他在MPI-EVA新的人类起源研究生项目中获得了教学和课程开发的经验。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biological Informatics for FY 2006. The fellowship supports research and training at the postdoctoral level at the intersection of biology and the informational, computational, mathematical, and statistical sciences. The goal of the fellowship is to provide training to a young scientist in preparation for a career in biological informatics in which research and education will be integrated. There is an increasing need for training in biological informatics at all occupational levels, and it is expected that Fellows trained through these fellowships will play important roles in training the future workforce.The research and training plan for this fellowship is entitled "Computational and experimental analysis of gene splicing evolution in primates." Although our genome sequence is about 98% identical to that of our closest relative, the chimpanzee, there are important biological differences between humans and other primates. This research involves the design and use a primate splicing microarrays to investigate one important source of potential difference in regulation of gene function, alternative splicing. These experiments help reveal how the genetic repertoire of primates, that is largely identical among species, is used to generate species-specific alternative isoform profiles.The research training opportunities include splicing array development, database management and analysis, and molecular evolution. Working with a multi-disciplinary and international group at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Anthropology (MPI-EVA) also provides unique training and teaching opportunities. Communicating research results between the various departments within MPI-EVA provides the Fellow the opportunity to hone his scientific communication skills and he gains experience in teaching and developing curricula in the new graduate program in Human Origins at MPI-EVA.