| This research project aims at predicting candidate genes for genetic traits, or in more general terms, to link the genotype to the phenotype. Prediction of candidate genes for genetic traits in a targeted approach is a laborious task, as it requires the researcher to search numerous databases, not only for the organism under investigation, but also for similar conditions or syntenic regions in relevant, highly annotated species (model organisms). The current project will follow up on the concepts that have been developed and applied in the GeneSeeker project ( van Driel, 2002). The GeneSeeker, developed by Leunissen's group, is a web-based tool to predict candidate genes for human genetic disease, which extracts and combines information from a number of public databases. We aim at broadening its scope to other target organisms such as farm animals and plants, and at extending it by incorporating more model organisms. The project will focus at first on animal genetics, in collaboration with the Animal Breeding and Genetics group. Once the software infrastructure is in place, the scope will be boadened to plant genetics as well (in collaboration with Plant Research International). |
