[bioundgrd] UROP Opportunity

[MacKenzie Outlund]

UROP Department/Lab/Center: Whitehead Institute
Faculty Supervisor: Hui Ge/Gerald Fink

Project Title: Probing genetic robustness of embryonic development

Project Description: Development is the result of many complex events
including cascades of transcriptional programs and numerous molecular
interactions. Classical genetic screens and recent RNAi screens have
been applied to identifying genes crucial for embryonic development.
However, many components are still missing because of the fact that
functionally overlapping genes or alternative pathways buffer one
another's actions during development. Various types of high-
throughput biological data may reveal these functionally overlapping
genes or alternative pathways. We use the C. elegans embryo as a
model to systematically identify genes that function in a synergistic
manner during development. We apply a computational modeling approach
that integrates various types of functional genomic data,
experimentally confirm the computational discoveries, and propose
potential mechanisms underlying genetic robustness.
Prerequisites: We look for 1) biology students who will perform RNAi
screens to discover genes involved in embryonic development and
examine interactions between these genes; 2) computer science
students who will develop novel algorithms to integrate various data
sources and make predictions for embryonic development.

Contact: hge at wi.mit.edu