Download Mathematics and Post-Genomic Biology

Mathematics and
Post-Genomic Biology
Lawrence Hunter, Ph.D., Director
Computational Bioscience Program
UCHSC School of Medicine
http://compbio.uchsc.edu
[email protected]
Biology has changed
Biology is on the popular mind
more than chemistry &
physics these days
Students don’t choose to
study biology because they
“like science but not the
math” anymore...
Data Poor → Data Rich
Not long ago, it could take a lifetime to gather
even a small dataset relevant to understanding a
living system…
Growth of PDB
Post-Genomic Instruments
Expression array “chips”
15,000+ genes/chip at $500/chip
(and falling!)
LC/MS/MS
proteomics
Gigabyte / day of
spectra!
High throughput SNP genotyping
automation
$0.01/SNP and dropping fast
Biology’s “New Math”
Calculus matters, but less than in physics or
chemistry…
Discrete math has a dramatically more important
role, e.g. in sequence analysis and genetics
Due to its less “law-like” nature, understanding
statistical inference is a critical basic skill for
nearly all biology
Lots of REAL data available free on the web
Students can do REAL scientific projects
www.rcsb.org/pdb
metacyc.org
www.uchsc.edu/sm/chs
Great Web Resources
New relevance opportunities
Based on news stories
– Gene discoveries
– Crime / DNA identification
– Epidemics
Related to teen concerns
– Genetics and sports / beauty
– HIV / AIDS
– Drugs, alcohol & tobacco
http://www.gmathletes.net/
Graphs & Cycles
Molecular biology is
inherently network-y
– Metabolism, Signaling
and Regulatory networks
– Functional/Semantic links
– Evolutionary relationships
Other levels, too
– Global carbon cycles
– Neurons & synapses
Genomic Combinations
Humans have 40,877 proteins (a total of 18,311,133 amino acids);
If the 20 characters are randomly distributed, what is the probability
of seeing any particular 4 letter sequence? An 11 letter one?
Drugs and Receptors
Geometry of interactions
Receptor binding
and pharmacodynamics
Drug trials, safety and
data interpretation
HIV protease bound
to Ritonavir
http://www.mc.uky.edu/pharmacology/instruction/pha824mp
Teamwork
Team science is growing in
importance. Teams can
work in teaching, too.
– Coordination between
http://www.succcessstories.com
teachers of math and biology
– Student teams doing complementary problems
– Researcher / industry partnerships with schools,
students and teachers
You have a critical role!
Good jobs are available for people with math and
biology skills, at all levels
– Health care, especially nursing
– Biotech industry
– Pharmaceuticals & pharmacists
Math/bio is an increasingly important competence
for consumers & citizens
– Informed patients get better health care
– Public debates on epidemics, genetic modifications, etc.