Neuroinformatics for genes, transcriptomes and cells

我正在申请资金，以支持我的生物信息学研究计划，重点是分析基因组学和其他数据，旨在了解哺乳动物神经系统的基因，生理学和结构水平，以及这与大脑发育，正常大脑功能，衰老和病理过程的关系。我的研究计划有几个相互关联的方面： 1.开发数据库，方法和软件，以支持在其他信息来源（如神经解剖学和细胞类型）的背景下解释基因表达模式。这项努力的旗舰是“Gemma”（gemma.chibi.ubc.ca）。 2.大脑中基因表达模式的荟萃分析：我们正在使用来自公共和其他来源的大量全基因组表达数据集，以增加发现与特定过程或病理相关的基因的能力，并预测基因功能。 3.开发和分析神经元连接和神经生理学数据库，使用人工策展支持的生物医学文本分析。我们的细胞电生理特性数据库NeuroElectro（neuroelectro.org）是当前提案的重点之一。 4.整合和分析来自基因组学研究的信息与电生理学、疾病表型、细胞类型和连接性的数据。我们的目标是提高对基因表达模式如何与大脑结构和功能相关的理解。 我的研究计划在加拿大是独一无二的，专注于应用生物信息学方法来理解神经系统，使用功能基因组学，遗传学，生物医学文本，神经解剖学和神经生理学等一系列方法。我们保持着大量的湿实验室合作，这些合作扩展并加强了我们的努力。应用包括提高对大脑功能的基本理解，以及影响人类的神经精神和神经发育疾病的病因学。我们所有的资源都是向公众开放的。 这个提议是一种更新。NSERC发现奖将用于资助研究生和本科生的培训，这些研究生和本科生从事文本挖掘和该计划的综合方面（上面列出的目标3和4）以及表达分析方法（上面列出的目标1和2）。

I am requesting funding to support my bioinformatics research program focused on analysis of the genomics and other data, targeted at understanding the mammalian nervous system at the level of genes, physiology and structure, and how this relates to brain development, normal brain function, aging, and pathological processes. My research program has several interconnected aspects: 1. The development of databases, methods and software to support the interpretation of gene expression patterns, in the context of other sources of information such as neuroanatomy and cell types. The flagship of this effort is “Gemma” (gemma.chibi.ubc.ca). 2. Meta-analyses of gene expression patterns in the brain: We are using numerous genome-wide expression data sets from public and other sources to increase the power to find genes related to specific processes or pathologies, and to predict gene function. 3. Development and analysis of databases of neuronal connectivity and neurophysiology, using biomedical text analysis supported by manual curation. Our database of cellular electrophysiological properties, NeuroElectro (neuroelectro.org) is one focus of the current proposal. 4. Integration and analysis of information from genomics studies with data on electrophysiology, disease phenotypes, cell types and connectivity. Our goal is to improve understanding of how gene expression patterns relate to brain structure and function. My research program is unique in Canada in focusing on application of bioinformatics methods to the understanding of the nervous system, using a range of methods from functional genomics, genetics, biomedical text, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. We maintain a large number of wet-lab collaborations which extend and enhance our efforts. Applications include improving basic understanding of brain function, as well as the etiology of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental diseases affecting humans. All of our resources are made available to the public. This proposal is a renewal. The NSERC Discovery award would be used to fund the training of graduate students and undergraduates working on aspects of the text-mining and integrative aspects of this program (goals 3 and 4 listed above) and expression analysis methods (goals 1 and 2 above).