ENGINEERING TRIPOS PART IIB - 2012/2013 (module not running this year)

Module 4G1 - Systems Biology

AIMS

The course covers topics in machine learning and Markov proceses with application to examples from biology. No background in biology is assumed.

The aims of this modules are to:

• Illustrate the approaches which are taken to decipher the genetic information encoded in genomes
• Demonstrate how evolutionary origin can be inferred from genome analysis
• Consider the advantages and limitations of the use of aray technology to study gene expression
• Illustrate how mathematical approaches can be used to study regulatory networks

Further details and online resources

LECTURE SYLLABUS

Introduction to genomics (2L, Dr G. Vinnicombe)

• Concepts of genes and genomes
• Organisation of genetic material in cells

Gene Expression Analysis (4L, Dr G. Vinnicombe)

• Introduction to microarray technology
• Exploratory analysis and pre-processing of microarray data
• Experimental design
• Finding candidate genes for differential expression
• Downstream analysis of gene expression data

Systems biology: The regulation of gene expression (4L, Dr J. Goncalves)

• Deterministic modelling. Notes for this part
• Notes for this part. Examples paper Regulatory networks will be described dynamically using sensitivity analyses and estimates for random fluctuations.
• Processes studied include gene expression, anabolic reactions and replications

Genome annotation, evolution and analysis (4L, Dr. J. Goncalves)

• Identification of interesting features in a genome sequence
• Models of genome evolution
• Introduction of algorithms for genome analysis and phylogenetic inference

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course students will:

• Have developed an understanding of methodologies currently used for genome sequence analysis
• Understand the application of array techologies to study differential gene expression
• Appreciate how regulatory networks can be analysed mathematically

REFERENCES

Please see the Booklist for Group G Courses for references for this module.

Last updated: May 2012