BNMC Seminar:  Genome-wide exploration of C. elegans

Weiwei Zhong

Genetic interactions underlie how a genome specifies the properties of an organism. We propose two strategies to systematically map C. elegans genetic interactions, especially those involved in complex biological processes:

1. Probabilistic prediction of genetic interactions. By integrating various genomic data (such as phenotype, expression, and interactome data) from multiple species, we can reliably predict the probability of two genes being an interacting pair. Using such results to prioritize test candidates can greatly increase our efficiency in experimental testing.

2. Automated experimental testing of genetic interactions. We are developing an automated system to conduct high-throughput, quantitative analysis of C. elegans genetic interactions.

Hypothesis-driven discovery is a process of two steps: hypothesis generation and experimental verification. By optimizing both steps, we expect our experimental pipeline to bring new insights into the understanding of the C. elegans genetic interaction network.