Proposal: The expression of an individual gene is a function of its regulator genes. Therefore, the alterations of interactions among genes in a cell produce anomalies through gene networks, forming the basis of genetic diseases such as cancer. The primary objective of our program is to understand the nature of gene interactions in gene networks by:

1. Interpreting how certain genes interact differently in a cancer cell versus how they otherwise would in a normal cell.
2. Determine how to alter the gene network in a cancer cell so that it behaves similar to normal cell.

The problems will be approached in three parts. The first part is system simulation, which, when given a network, will generate data or trajectories of the network. Secondly, an inverse problem of system simulation, network inference, will generate a network given a set of data. The final part, intervention, will solve how corresponding networks may be modified at minimal expenses to achieve a given output that results in the most positive change on a cancer cell.

Ultimately, C++ will be the programming language for the proposed program.

Mentor: Joe Song

Team Members:

Jerry Yeh
Christopher Smith

Sponsoring Teacher: Gregory Marez

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