The laboratory at Saint Petersburg State University is engaged in the development, testing, and application of innovative computer programs for discovering human disease genes, annotating and comparing vertebrate genomes, and implementing scientific developments to improve public health and the environment. The laboratory will operate in the following areas:
Project Goal:
Scientific results:
Implementation of research results:
- Discovery of human genes based on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using existing and new cohorts in Russia, China, and the USA.
- Assembly of sequenced genomes and annotation of vertebrate genomes.
- Resolution of ethical disputes regarding human genome information and access to biological samples in the post-genomic era.
- Species conservation and genomic assessments.
- Training and educational programs.
Goals and Objectives
Research Areas: Biology, bioinformatics, biomedical technologies, ethics, nature conservationProject Goal:
- Establishment of the Center for Genomic Bioinformatics in Saint Petersburg for interdisciplinary research (scientists in genetics, mathematics, programming, etc.), as well as for training students and interns
- Development and implementation of innovative computer and bioinformatics analysis tools, applying the latest achievements in genetics, bioinformatics, and computational biology for the assembly of genomes of living organisms, their annotation, and gene discovery, with subsequent implementation of the results in healthcare, agriculture, and nature conservation
Implementation of research results
Scientific results:
- The GWATCH information platform was developed and implemented for the visualization and interpretation of gene search results based on genome-wide association studies.
- The Saint Petersburg State University project "Russian Genomes" was launched, within which 334 complete genomes of people living in various regions of the Russian Federation have been sequenced to date.
- Creation of a domestic bioinformatic database based on the study of the genetic diversity of Russian populations and a genetic database of medically significant genomic variants in Russian populations
- The GMTV program and database were created, designed for cataloging and analyzing Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains within the Russian Federation.
- For the first time, the genomes of several plant species were sequenced, assembled, and annotated; several genes whose function is associated with various types of sexual and asexual reproduction were identified, and further genomic studies of reproduction regulation are underway.
- A bank of biological samples of mammals inhabiting the territory of the Russian Federation has been assembled.
- New methods and tools for analyzing genome sequencing data of more than 40 species of rare animals and plants, including the cheetah, African wolf, and the highly heterozygous plant Boechera, have been developed.
Implementation of research results:
- The GWATCH information platform has been introduced into the field of bioinformatics and genetics, containing an innovative set of interactive programs that automate the discovery and verification of gene variants mediating resistance to chronic human diseases. In this sense, GWATCH is a sophisticated yet user-friendly computational program for viewing genomic associations, explicitly confirming new gene associations, and identifying important gene influences that were previously difficult to establish.
- The results obtained can be applied in the search for genes associated with diseases, in monitoring the development of diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis, as well as for the development of the evolutionary theory of the origin of species and bioinformatics as a science.
Education and personnel retraining
- An "Introduction to Bioinformatics" course has been developed at Saint Petersburg State University in Russian for the international educational platform Coursera.
- Seminars were held involving specialists from related fields.
- Consultations and internships were conducted at the Laboratory for students and staff of universities from other cities.
- Staff internships were organized at the Far Eastern Federal University and Bashkir State University (Russia).
Cooperation
Smithsonian Institution (USA), Harvard University (USA), Duke University in North Carolina (USA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), University of Pretoria (South Africa), University of Porto (Portugal), University of Zurich (Switzerland), Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Masaryk University (Czech Republic), Indian Institute of Technology Madras (India), Peking University (China): joint research of bioinformatic analysis data, joint publications.Website: http://dobzhanskycenter.bio.spbu.ru/en/
Contact person: Stephen James O'Brien, Head of Laboratory, PhD (Biology)
Address: 41 Sredny Prospekt, Litera A
Phone: +7 (812) 363-61-03
Email: moc.liamg@balyksnahzbod
Contact person: Stephen James O'Brien, Head of Laboratory, PhD (Biology)
Address: 41 Sredny Prospekt, Litera A
Phone: +7 (812) 363-61-03
Email: moc.liamg@balyksnahzbod
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