Network inference in genetic studies; the GeneSys inaugural meeting

01 October, 08 12:30 PM - 03 October, 08 04:00 PM

e-Science Institute, 15 South College Street, Edinburgh

Any slides or other material generated as a result of this event can be found at: www.nesc.ac.uk/action/esi/contribution.cfm?Title=868

The GENESYS network was recently funded by the BBSRC under the "Mathematics for Systems Biology" (MATSYB) initiative. The goal of the network is to promote the required integration between genetics, bioinformatics and mathematics to facilitate the reverse-engineering of regulatory networks using genetic mapping data and high throughput data, such as transcriptomics. This is an important step toward systems biology approaches where these regulatory networks will be refined and evolve into quantitative models of regulation. While initially focussing on the combination of QTL mapping and gene expression analyses, it is expected that the network will attract interest from other high throughput disciplines such as metabonomics and proteomics. An approach that has started to make an impact on the dissection of complex traits is known as genetical genomics; the combined study of gene-expression and marker genotypes in a segregating population. Genetical Genomics is aimed at detecting genomic loci that control variation in gene expression, so called expression QTL or eQTL (to distinguish them from functional QTL that affect traits at the whole-organism level). A major promise of genetical genomics is that by examining the relationship between transcript location, location of eQTL (cis or trans in relation to the transcript) and pleiotropic effects of eQTL, it might be able to reconstruct genetic pathways that underlie phenotypic variation. The major challenge in reverse engineering gene regulatory networks is the successful integration of biological knowledge, (e)QTL mapping results, bioinformatics tools and mathematical modelling approaches. The GENESYS network will organise one meeting in each of the three years of the grant. The first meeting of the network will take place in Edinburgh on 1-3 October, 2008. The meeting will start with an interactive workshop aimed at young investigators in this field. During the workshop, the approaches in this area will be discussed in detail by experts from the field, accompanied by critical reflection. The workshop is by invitation only, contact the main organiser if you think you should be included. The workshop will be followed by a 1,5 day conference, with mainly invited presentations.

Target Audience

Workshop: young investigators with a background in biology and a strong interest in numerical biology as well as those with a background in mathematics, bioinformatics and statistics with an interest in genetics. Please note the workshop is by invitation only. If you apply to attend and have not received an invitation we will treat your application as a request for an invitation, and we will notify you if a space becomes available for you.

Conference: The main aim of the conference is to facilitate interaction between scientist from different backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, genetics, computing and bioinformatics with a common interest to use data from genetic studies and high-throughput technologies to unravel the genetic basis of variation in complex traits.

Programme

This event is provisionally scheduled to start at 12:30 Wednesday 01 October 2008 and close at 16:00 on Friday 03 October 2008.

A dinner is being held in The George Hotel on the 02 October at 19:30

A preliminary programme is avaiable to download in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format.

Accommodation

Assistance with accommodation is offered once you have registered.

Registration for this event is now closed. To enquire about an application or to cancel a previous application please contact NeSC Administration.

Important Dates

08 Feb - Registration Opens
25 Sep - Registration Deadline
25 Sep - Date we will respond to your application by (Please note this is the latest date we will respond to your application. It is normal policy for us to respond within 5 working days where possible.)
01 Oct - Event Starts at 12:30hrs

Travel

Full details on how to get to the e-Science Institute are available at:

http://www.nesc.ac.uk/esi/esi_travel.html

Enquiries

Enquiries should be made directly to our Conference Administrator.

http://www.nesc.ac.uk/esi/