| Mission |
Fundamental Research The Erasmus MC department of bioinformatics runs a research program of its own, which provides the biological and technological basis of all its activities. The program concentrates on the way the genome as a whole contributes to the evolution, development, structure and function of the brain. This involves analysis of (next-generation) sequencing data, promoter/enhancer data, copynumber variation and gene expression in more than 50 different human brain regions. Background Our approach aims on integrating genomics, proteomics and cytogenetic data with medical imaging data to identify genes associated with neuro-development, neuro-degeneration and neuro-oncology. Linking molecular with imaging data opens new avenues for image guided diagnosis and intervention. Such functional genomic studies require the skills of experts in systems biology and bioinformatics. General Description The aim of our research is to gain insight in the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving the development of the face and the brain. The molecular signals that mediate these brain patterning events are, for the most part, unknown. Hox genes, a highly conserved subgroup of the homeobox superfamily, have crucial roles in (brain) development, regulating numerous processes including apoptosis, receptor signaling, differentiation, motility and angiogenesis. Aberrations in Hox gene expression have been reported in abnormal development and malignancy of the central nervous system, indicating that altered expression of Hox genes could be also important for both oncogenesis and tumour suppression, depending on context. During development and in mature organisms, cells respond to changes in their environment in part through changes in gene expression. Extracellular factors including growth factors, hormones and neurotransmitters activate programs of new gene expression in a manner that is temporally and spatially controlled by the coordinated action of trans-act |
