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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

Adapted from an article by:

E. Birney, C. Burge, and J. Fickett, Genome Technology, issue 17, Jan. 2002

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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

#1: Precise model of transcription initiation and termination: ability to predict where, when, and at what rate transcription will occur

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Endo16 Regulatory Network

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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

#2: Precise model of RNA splicing: ability to predict the splicing pattern of any primary transcript in any tissue

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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

#3: Precise model of signal transduction pathways: ability to predict cellular responses to external stimuli

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EGF Recepter Signaling Pathway

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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

#4: Precise model for the following binding interactions:– protein-DNA

– protein-RNA

– protein-protein

– RNA-RNA

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Zinc Finger – DNA Binding

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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

#5: Accurate ab initio RNA structure prediction

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SARS s2m RNA

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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

#6: Accurate ab initio protein structure prediction

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Structure of β-amylase

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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

#7: Rational design of small molecule inhibitors of proteins

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Fasciculin Docked with AChE

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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

#8: Development of gene ontologies: systematic ways to describe and predict the functions of any gene or protein

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9 Future Challenges for Bioinformatics

#9: Precise model of evolution: understanding exactly how biological sequences evolve

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HERV-K Retrovirus Insertions

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Other Challenges

• Development: how do cells specialize?

• Speciation: what is the mechanism?

• Disease models: diagnosis, prognosis, treatment

• Drug design: discovery, validation, development

• Individualized medicine

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Relevant Math. & Comp. Sci.

• Probability and statistics• Combinatorics• Information theory• Mathematical modeling• Algorithm design and analysis• Databases• Machine learning• Text mining, natural language processing• Image processing• User interfaces