Computational prediction and experimental validation of novel signaling pathways in eukaryotes

• Applicant: Dr. Yungki Park
• Subject Area: Bioinformatics and Theoretical Biology
• Term: from 2009 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 125480196

Cells need to be able to respond properly to both external and internal stimuli for survival. Membrane receptors usually recognize these stimuli and relay them to downstream proteins, ultimately activating transcription factors to modulate gene expression. Over the past decades many important signaling pathways such as Wnt, Notch and Hedgehog have been identified largely through experimental endeavors. Thanks to recent technological advances, tremendous amounts of genomic and proteomic data have become available. This allows us to take a more directed and systematic approach for discovering signaling pathways. In this project, I would like to computationally predict novel signaling pathways via an integrated analysis of genomic and proteomic data and then experimentally validate predicted signaling pathways. To keep this project doable within a limited time period, I am going to focus mainly on the simplest type of signaling pathways – those with a single component that functions both as a membrane receptor and as a sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factor.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Edward Marcotte