Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Informatics for FY 2003

Belfiore, Natalia M, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Interdisciplinary Informatics are sponsored jointly by the Directorates for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and Biological Sciences (BIO) to encourage research and training that cross the traditional disciplinary boundaries between them. These fellowships provide opportunities for interdisciplinary research and educational activities in biology and informatics to a wide range of recent doctoral recipients (biologists, chemists, physicists, mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, and others). It is expected that the Fellows trained through these fellowships will play an important role in training the future workforce. Postdoctoral research and training in informatics will permit junior scientists trained in biology, mathematical, chemical, and physical sciences to play key roles in developing new quantitative tools and methods that will advance informatics in biology and other fields. The research and training plan is entitled "Reconstructing the past using current technological and computational methods: studying population genetic change using 100-year-old museum specimens." This research project will develop single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic markers to study pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) that have been collected over the past 100 years. The project will also show whether historic samples provide insight into genetic change in populations. Published SNP databases will assist in designing SNP experiments to best understand gopher population dynamics.