Principal Investigator

Dr. Suchendra M. Bhandarkar

    This project deals with the design and development of image analysis tools for problems in genomics. This project is part of a larger effort to develop cross linked physical maps of the rice and sorghum genomes which will serve as a foundation for the analysis of genome structure, function and variation in C4 grasses. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation and is in collaboration with the Applied Genetics Technology (AGTech) Center and the Department of Botany at the University of Georgia.

    Specialized image processing and image analysis tools are being designed and developed. The inputs to the image analysis programs are hybridization signals from  high density oligonucleotide arrays and cDNA micro arrays and the outputs are the hybridization profiles that are used by subsequent programs for sequencing and mapping. The image analysis programs recognize specific hybridization patterns, remove unwanted artifacts introduced during the experiments, and reduce the probability of false signals and calibration inaccuracies. Image analysis programs are being designed to perform quantitative monitoring of gene expression patterns in high density cDNA micro arrays. Specialized operations based on image morphology allow study of differential or joint gene expressions on an ensemble of cDNA micro arrays. Specialized temporal operators track the evolution or changes in gene expression over time in a time elapsed series of micro array images. The outputs of the image analysis programs are interfaced with appropriate data visualization and navigation tools and with a custom designed database system for information storage and archival.

     The goals of this project are to design and implement algorithms for the analysis of hybridization images from high density oligonucleotide arrays and cDNA micro arrays.