Whereas genetic studies have traditionally focused on explaining heritance of single traits and their phenotypes, recent technological advances have made it possible to comprehensively dissect the genetic architecture of complex traits and quantify how genes interact to shape phenotypes. This exciting new area has been termed systems genetics and is born out of a synthesis of multiple fields, integrating a range of approaches and exploiting our increased ability to obtain quantitative and ...

Rapid advances in high-throughput genome sequencing technologies foreshadow a near-future in which millions of individuals will gain affordable access to their complete genome sequence. This promises to offer unprecedented insights into the fundamental biological nature of ourselves and our species: where we came from, how we begin our lives, how we develop and grow, how we interact with our environment, how we get sick, how we get well, and how we age. Personal genomics is an essential co...

  James A. Shapiro proposes an important new paradigm for understanding biological evolution, the core organizing principle of biology. Shapiro introduces crucial new molecular evidence that tests the conventional scientific view of evolution based on the neo-Darwinian synthesis, shows why this view is inadequate to today's evidence, and presents a compelling alternative view of the evolutionary process that reflects the shift in life sciences...

Providing genome-informed personalized treatment is a goal of modern medicine. Identifying new translational targets in nucleic acid characterizations is an important step toward that goal. The information tsunami produced by such genome-scale investigations is stimulating parallel developments in statistical methodology and inference, analytical frameworks, and computational tools. Within the context of genomic medicine and with a strong focus on cancer research, this book describes the i...

Using chips composed of thousands of spots, each with the capability of holding DNA molecules corresponding to a given gene, DNA microarray technology has enabled researchers to measure simultaneously gene expression across the genome. As with other large-scale genomics approaches, microarray technologies are broadly applicable across disciplines of life and biomedical sciences, but remain daunting to many researchers. This guide is designed to demystify the technology and inform more biol...

This book addresses the need for a unified framework describing how soft computing and machine learning techniques can be judiciously formulated and used in building efficient pattern recognition models. The text reviews both established and cutting-edge research, providing a careful balance of theory, algorithms, and applications, with a particular emphasis given to applications in computational biology and bioinformatics. Features: integrates different soft computing and machine learning...

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is the latest high throughput technology to revolutionize genomic research. NGS generates massive genomic datasets that play a key role in the big data phenomenon that surrounds us today. To extract signals from high-dimensional NGS data and make valid statistical inferences and predictions, novel data analytic and statistical techniques are needed. This book contains 20 chapters written by prominent statisticians working with NGS data. The topics range fro...

This book serves as an introduction to the myriad computational approaches to gene regulatory modeling and analysis, and is written specifically with experimental biologists in mind. Mathematical jargon is avoided and explanations are given in intuitive terms. In cases where equations are unavoidable, they are derived from first principles or, at the very least, an intuitive description is provided. Extensive examples and a large number of model descriptions are provided for use in both cl...

Design Principles for the Immune System and Other Distributed Autonomous Systems is the first book to examine the inner workings of such a variety of distributed autonomous systems--from insect colonies to high level computer programs to the immune system. It offers insight into the fascinating world of these systems that emerge from the interactions of seemingly autonomous components and brings us up-to-date on the state of research in these areas. Using the immune system and cer...

Written by leading cell biologists and curated by Cell Press editors, reviews in the Cell Press Reviews: Core Concepts in Cell Biology publication informs, inspires, and connects cell biologists at all stages in their careers with timely, comprehensive insight into the most recent exciting developments across cell biology and hot topics within core areas of the field including: - Signaling mechanisms and membrane biology - Cytoskeletal self-organization and cell polarity - Organelle dynami...

Molecular understanding of cancer and cancer progression is at the forefront of many research programs today. High-throughput array technologies and other modern molecular techniques produce a wealth of molecular data about the structure, and function of cells, tissues, and organisms. Correctly analyzed and interpreted these data hold the promise of bringing new markers for prognostic and diagnostic use, for new treatment schemes, and of gaining new biological insight into the evolution of...

This book provides an entry point into Systems Biology for researchers in genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology and biomedical science to understand the key concepts to expanding their work. Chapters organized around broader themes of Organelles and Organisms, Systems Properties of Biological Processes, Cellular Networks, and Systems Biology and Disease discuss the development of concepts, the current applications, and the future prospects. Emphasis is placed on concepts ...