VCU Biological Complexity

Another strong group, in the Center, focuses on development of gene networks and metabololic and interactomic networks and pathways using gene expression array, proteomics and interactomic technologies. Systems under investigation span networks involved in microbial pathogenesis, host response to microbial pathogens, mechanisms of oncogenesis including cell cycle control and apotosis, network in the neuroendocrine system, gene networks involved in substance dependency, and systems involved in cellular and organismal aging. Sixteen Center faculty comprise this group, three of whom are very recent recruits.

3) Structural Biology and Pharmacogenomics.

In contrast to similar endeavors, the Center has both scholarly and more practical goals. Therefore, we have strongly supported the programs of structural biology and pharmacogenomics at VCU. This group includes fourteen 14 faculty from four departments at VCU and applies structural analyses from mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-Ray crystallography to decipher relevant macromolecular structures. These macromolecular structures can be used for the identification of potential small molecule inhibitors. Such inhibitors can be used as treatments or preventative agents for infectious diseases, cancer or other genetic and hereditary diseases.

4) Environmental and Ecological Systems.

Environmental scientists and ecologists have practiced complexity science for decades as the components of these systems are largely macromolecular and therefore directly observable and measurable. We have not neglected these individuals as their experience is extremely valuable to the newly converted cellular and molecular biologists. Thus, these individuals play a critical leadership role in our programs. Seven (7) of our fellows fall into this group, two of whom are recent recruits. Significantly, Robert Ulanowitz form the Center for Environmental Studies in Maryland , was one of our first external fellows.

5) Mathematical and Computational Biology, Biomedicine, Biophysics and Biostatistics.

The most essential and unique research group in the Center is the unit focusing on mathematical, statistical, and computational approaches to biological problems. This group consists of twelve (12) faculty in eight different departments using advanced theoretical and applied mathematics, along with sophisticated high performance computational tools and techniques to develop and apply new approaches to mining polymorphisms in genome sequence data, new strategies for visualizing and mining gene expression and proteomics data, difference and differential/partial differential equations to biological problems, molecular systematics to assess phylogeny, and exploit multi-scale modeling and visualization tools to dissect biological functions. The Center has invested significant resources in hiring five new faculty into this group and will continue to do so in upcoming years. Emergent from this collaborative effort is the Virtual Parasite Project, a high performance mathematical and computational multi-scale laboratory to study host-parasite dynamics. In addition to the applied and theoretical mathematicians, a number of individuals apply physical and computational approaches to study of biological and physical processes involved in receptor-ligand interaction, development of complex functional algorithms for modeling biological reactions or systems, applications of artificial neural nets to control processes and biological modeling, and development of new, bioactive biosensors and biochips. This compact group includes ten (10) investigators, two of whom are recent recruits to VCU. This latter group collaborates closely with the former group to form this unique research focus.