Cancer causing mutations in the three dimensional genome
Themes: Life Science & Health
Basic research
A TRL is a measure to indicate the matureness of a developing technology. When an innovative idea is discovered it is often not directly suitable for application. Usually such novel idea is subjected to further experimentation, testing and prototyping before it can be implemented. The image below shows how to read TRL’s to categorise the innovative ideas.
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Why?
Our research uncovers which genes are affected by mutations in the DNA. For the first time, we are considering the DNA as a three dimensional structure, rather than a linear on. We can do this by exploiting so called chromatin conformation capture data. This will contribute to an improved understanding on how cancer is caused.
How?
We are the Delft Bioinformatics Lab. We create algorithms that can find patterns in large volumes of molecular data. In this project we have created an algorithm that can integrate large collections of mutation data with 3D conformation data
When?
Our research is basic research, and aims to better understand what goes wrong in the cell when mutations causes cancer. The knowledge gained from our algorithms is indispensable for the development of new cancer therapeutics. Unfortunately, this will be several years from now.
Dr. ir. Jeroen de Ridder