Core 2: Bioinformatics

生物信息学核心作为所有VCU酒精研究中心（ARC）项目的支持网络 并将与每个组成部分密切互动，以提供计算、统计和研究设计 专业知识核心将在数据收集、策展、管理、存储和 分析.因此，我们将首先收集和整理项目相关数据，包括VCUARC生成的数据 以及那些可从其他外部来源获得的。这些内部和外部数据的示例 包括人类连锁和关联研究、小鼠数量性状基因座（QTL）、微阵列数据、苍蝇 蠕虫候选基因网络和文献搜索。收集到的数据将通过一个数据 管理系统，并通过计算机程序进行定期更新。许多数据挖掘和生物信息学 将进行分析以鉴定易感基因，包括跨物种同源性 搜索和基因网络分析。核心还将制定、实施和完善以下方法： 优先考虑基因进行进一步的研究。最后，在我们未来计划进行全面的酒精研究的预期中， 中心应用程序（P50或P60），我们将设计和部分实现一个用户友好的基于Web的平台。 该平台将提供（1）同时访问项目产生的数据和某些公众 基因组数据库和（2）统计分析和数据呈现工具。该系统将开发 作为“乙醇组学”的原型--一个涉及酒精的基因的综合性跨物种系统 反应促进数据共享和应用新方法的总体目标是 加速对酒精相关特征的理解。

The Bioinformatics Core serves as a support network for all VCU Alcohol Research Center (ARC) projects and will interact closely with each component to provide computational, statistical, and research design expertise. The core will play a central role in the data collection, curation, management, storage, and analysis. As such, we will first collect and curate project related data including those generated by the VCUARC and those that are available from other outside sources. Examples of these internal and external data include human linkage and association studies, mouse quantitative trait loci (QTL), microarray data, fly and worm candidate gene networks, and literature searches. The collected data will be integrated via a data management system and updated routinely by computer programs. Many data mining and bioinformatics analyses will be performed for the identification of susceptibility genes, including cross-species homology searches and gene network analysis. The core will also develop, implement, and refine methods for prioritizing genes for additional study. Finally, in anticipation of our future plans for a full Alcohol Research Center application (P50 or P60), we will design and partially implement a user-friendly web-based platform. This platform will provide (1) simultaneous access to the data generated in the projects and to certain public genomic databases and (2) tools for statistical analysis and data presentation. The system will be developed as a prototype for 'Ethanolomics' - a comprehensive cross-species system for genes involved in alcohol response. The overall goal of facilitating data sharing and the application of emerging methods will be to accelerate the understanding of alcohol related traits.