BIOINFORMATICS FOR GLYCOMICS CHALLENGE PROJECT FOR FIRST YEAR GRADUATE STUDENTS

Boston University Medical Campus, Boston MA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. The Boston University Bioinformatics Program requires first year graduate students to participate in year-long "Challenge Projects" in which they work with academic collaborators on significant bioinformatics problems. During the 2009-10 academic year, Prof. Zaia participated in such a project concerning developing software for targeted analysis of glycomics liquid chromatography mass spectrometry data sets. This effort resulted in a program called Manatee for targeted analysis of LC/MS data sets (1). During the 2010-11 year, the work was continued with a second team of first year graduate students. These students are developing a means of scoring deconvoluted LC/MS data acquired on glycans. Such scoring will rank deconvoluted MS signals to facilitate assignment of glycan compositions. In addition, the software will provide a means of generating targeted glycan composition lists to facilitate interpretation and will include a user friendly visual interface.