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Enabling the interoperability of cytometric data – a novel bioinformatics approach for revealing systems level understanding of cell cycle dynamics (Cellular Informatics)
Start date: Apr 1, 2010, End date: Sep 30, 2012 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The fellowship addresses a growing area of the life sciences interests of the EU community – understanding biological processes at the system level. Availability of high-quality quantitative data constitutes a bottleneck in this area and the fellowship addresses a specific problem. Ongoing efforts to converge genomic and proteomic data aiming to enlarge the systems view through bioinformatics. There is increasing recognition that at the cellular level heterogeneity and dynamic changes are complicating factors demanding cellular informatics solutions. This is highlighted in cell-based analyses, using cytometry platforms, where informatics solutions are limited and bespoke. The scientific objective of this multidisciplinary fellowship is to permit a seamless exchange – interoperability - between data derived from cellular analysis technologies ranging from fluid flow systems to advanced imaging - so that such data is within accessible structures for hypothesis testing. This will be achieved by permitting temporal links between dynamic (eg timelapse imaging) and static (eg flow cytometry or high content screen) measurements. Outcomes are applicable to multiple areas - our focus is on cancer biology and the cell cycle - exploiting data originating from existing cell analysis platforms and novel molecular reporters. The biological challenge is to study the pharmacological modulation of the mammalian cell cycle. The bioinformatics challenge is to develop a coherent infrastructure for revealing subtleties in drug responses. The fellow will spend altogether 18 months at Broad Institute USA (outgoing) and 12 months at Cardiff (reintegration). Work packages will address the design and development of the infrastructure for cytometry data interoperability and interpretation, utilising existing data acquisition tools and real experimental data sets developed at these host institutes. Future plans include the dissemination of research and roll-out to the wider community.
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