Theoretical Principles of Genotype-Phenotype Mapping

这项工作的目的是建立一个理论框架，以了解基因（基因型）和性状（表型）之间的联系。 基因型和表型之间的联系是复杂的，目前还没有足够的理论将基因型和表型联系起来。 这种理论的发展对于理解生物体的发育和进化都是至关重要的。 这是因为发育是根据基因型中包含的信息形成表型的过程，并且因为进化通过选择表型而起作用，这随后导致基因型中的可遗传变化。 这项研究将利用一套分子，发育和代谢网络的不同程度的复杂性，其结构和动力学是很好的理解，开发一个理论框架，映射分子和细胞机制的表型性状。 完整和明确的基因是如何连接到性状的映射是一项具有挑战性的任务，因为产生表型的分子和细胞机制是多样的，异质的，异常复杂。以前的理论工作使用的简化方法没有考虑到整个过程的多样性。因此，了解表型如何从本质上是异质的，非线性和非稳态的系统中出现，需要在本研究中开发新的理论方法。该项目将有助于一个跨学科的教育计划，整合物理化学，生物物理学，细胞生物学和计算生物学的本科生和研究生。

The aim of this work is to develop a theoretical framework for understanding the linkage between genes (the genotype) and traits (the phenotype). The linkage between genotype and phenotype is complex, and there is at present no adequate theory that links genotype to phenotype. Development of such a theory is critical for understanding both organismal development and evolution. This is because development is the process by which phenotypes are made based on information contained in the genotype, and because evolution acts by selecting phenotypes, which then results in heritable changes in the genotype. This research will make use of a set of molecular, developmental and metabolic networks of different degrees of complexity, whose structure and kinetics are well-understood, to develop a theoretical framework to map molecular and cellular mechanism to phenotypic traits. Complete and explicit mapping of how genes are connected to traits is a challenging task because the molecular and cellular mechanisms that give rise to the phenotype are diverse, heterogeneous, and exceptionally complex. Previous theoretical work has used simplifications that do not account for the entire diversity of processes. Understanding how phenotypes emerge from systems that are inherently heterogeneous, non-linear and non-steady state therefore requires novel theoretical approaches that will be developed in this research. The project will contribute to an interdisciplinary education program that integrates physical chemistry, biophysics, cellular biology and computational biology for undergraduate and graduate students.