biomedical sciences research institute - Research - University of Ulster

4. BIOMEDICAL GENOMICS RESEARCH GROUPOVERVIEW BY THE GROUP LEADERThe Mission of the Biomedical Genomics Research Group is to conduct research that will lead to a greaterunderstanding of the function of genes and regions for which there is no known function (Functional Genomics);the molecular understanding of gene regulation and gene expression patterns; and, ultimately, the development ofnovel techniques to therapeutically alter the expression of affected genes.The Group has extensive expertise relating to transcriptional regulation, key proteomic- and nucleic acid- basedtechniques (SNP, methylation, microarray, gene knockout, QTOF MS based de novo protein sequencing, MALDI,Yeast-2-hybrid, 2-D PAGE); structural biology (solution NMR spectroscopy); data integration and pathway modelling(Systems Biology). Genomics, proteomics and Systems Biology are strongly inter-related and many complexbiological and biomedical questions demand an integration of these approaches.Therefore, the Group works in contact with most of the research groups within the Biomedical Sciences ResearchInstitute (BMSRI), and particularly with the Systems Biology Research Group.The group is involved in all major aspects of transcriptional regulation ranging from:• the investigation of basic mechanisms of gene regulation;• the investigation of the structural basis for mechanisms of transcriptional control and regulation;• the design of nucleic acid based composites to therapeutically modulate aberrant gene expression patterns;• the analysis of the interplay of disease and a major class of transcriptional regulators (the “superfamily” ofnuclear hormone receptors with a specific focus on the vitamin D receptor);• the analysis of the correlation between genetic variability (SNPs), gene expression, promoter methylationstatus and specific diseases.14