Kansas City, Mo. (Aug. 2, 2008) - Members of the Stowers Institute’s Pourquié Lab and the Bioinformatics Center have joined colleagues from around the world in applying novel mathematical approaches to large-scale data analysis of the formation of the spine in embryos.

     The team tested a series of new methods designed to identify patterns among sets of previously generated data from the Pourquié Lab (Dequeant et al., Science 2006). The sophisticated mathematical analysis, detailed in a publication posted today to the Web site of PLoS One, identified new genes that relate to the segmentation clock — the biological mechanism responsible for controlling the rhythm essential for proper formation of the spine in embryos. Subsequent experimentation validated the roles of those genes.

     “One of the biggest challenges for biologists is efficiently analyzing the very large amounts of data we generate,” said Mary-Lee Dequeant, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate and lead author on the publication. “The methods highlighted in this publication provide new approaches for identifying patterns in high-dimensional gene expression data.”

     Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s Fundamental Laws of Biology (FunBio) Program, the project brought together mathematicians, physicists, and biologists to evaluate novel mathematical approaches for large-scale analysis of biological data.

     “As we generate more high-throughput data, we will continue to use these methods to identify relevant patterns, potentially uncovering new aspects of the segmentation clock system and leading to the formulation of new biological hypotheses,” said Olivier Pourquié, Ph.D., Investigator and senior author on the publications.

     Additional authors of the PLoS One publication from the Stowers Institute include Earl Glynn, Scientific Programmer; Gaye Hattem, Programmer Analyst II; and Arcady Mushegian, Ph.D., Director of Bioinformatics Center. Contributing authors from other institutions include Sebastian Ahnert, Cavendish Laboratory; Herbert Edelsbrunner, Duke University and Geomagic; Thomas Fink, National Center for Scientific Research and Curie Institute; Andrzej Kudlicki, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Yuriy Mileyko, Duke University; Jason Morton, University of California Berkeley; Lior Pachter, University of California Berkeley; Maga Rowicka, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; and Bernd Sturmfels, University of California Berkeley.

     Dr. Pourquié also is an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a Professor in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Learn more about his work at www.stowers-institute.org/labs/PourquieLab.asp.

     Dr. Mushegian also is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics & Immunology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Learn more about the work of the Bioinformatics Center at www.stowers-institute.org/labs/MushegianLab.asp.

About the Stowers Institute
     Housed in a 600,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility on a 10-acre campus in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research conducts basic research on fundamental processes of cellular life. Through its commitment to collaborative research and the use of cutting-edge technology, the Institute seeks more effective means of preventing and curing disease. The Institute was founded by Jim and Virginia Stowers, two cancer survivors who have created combined endowments of $2 billion in support of basic research of the highest quality.