We are concentrating our efforts on identifying structural determinants for cold adapted enzymes and developing bioinformatical algorithms for sequences and 3-D structural analysis. The main focus is on machinelearning and datamining of molecular protein data from local and international databanks. The Center of Bioinformatics Research will cooperate closely with existing and future bioinformatics projects in Tromsø and other places, e.g. at  MedFak/UoT, IK/UoT, Norut IT and Fiskeriforskning. We will also use 3-D structure data produced in the new National Center for Protein Structure at UoT, Norstruct. Currently our main projects are:

Analysis and visualisation of 3-D structures in sequence and genome data

Development of bioinformatical algorithms for sequence and 3-D structure analysis- identification of structural determinants in cold adapted enzymes

Classification of cancer by p53-mutation data

 

Here are links to some preliminary reports and to posters presented at the European Conference on Computational Biology in Paris (2003):

Identification of localized sequence structural determinants for cold adapted enzymes.

Initial comparisons of sequence and 3-D structural properties of cold and warm adapted enzymes.

Celsius: A database of temperature adapted protein structures.  Access Celsius here!

MendelHMM: A Hidden Markov Model tutorial toolbox for Matlab.
 

Participants.

The following researchers are planning to participate in our seminars and specific projects:

• Professor Tor Flå, Bioinformatical algorithms and modelling
• Professor Fred Godtliebsen
• Georg Elvebakk, Statistical Bioinformatics
• Researcher Said Hassan Norut IT
• Steinar Thorvaldsen, Tromsø University College. Bioinformatical descriptors
• Dr. Øyvind Bjørkås, Wavelet methods
• Vegard Andersen, Statistical Bioinformatics

There are several groups in Tromsø doing research of related interest to our project:

• The Protein Research Group at Department of molecular biotechnology, University of Tromsø is collaborating with Professor Arne O. Smalås at the Department of Chemistry on research in bioinformatics.
• Førsteamanuensis Ingebrigt Sylte at Department of medical biology, University of Tromsø
• Graduate student Eirik Fossgaard  and T. Flå at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Tromsø