SGER: Genome Fingerprint Scanning for Tetrahymena

University Of Georgia Research Foundation Inc, Athens GA

Investigators

Abstract

A major limitation of current proteomics approaches is the reliance on annotations that allow one to accurately determine the location of genes. This labor-intensive process has severely lagged behind the acquisition of sequencing data, and consequently, annotations exist for only a few organisms. In this SGER project, a novel, annotation-independent technique will be used for the rapid identification of genetic loci. The technique, known as Genome Fingerprint Scanning (GFS) uses a database of peptide-mass fingerprints to identify genes in an uninterpreted genomic sequence. The project will use the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila as a model for developing GFS as an annotation-independent method for protein identification from databases of large genomes. The project will develop a web-based server that will enable researchers to match mass spectrometry data directly to the genome.