Health Check: Computational biology

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — New research at Brown University could unlock the secret to a long, healthier life -- or a way to prevent a serious pregnancy complication.

The research is bringing together what's going on in the lab with computer technology. It's called computational biology.

"Without computer analysis, we can't manage these data sets," David Rand, who is the director of the new center, said. "So, each of the projects is biologically very different, but the common theme they all have is analyzing data sets."

The research is being made possible by an $11.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

It consists of five projects.

In one lab, they're taking a closer look at the fruit fly.

"We're all looking for our inner fly to use a phrase," Rand said. "Yeah, flies have most of the same genes that humans have."

The goal of the project is to study the genetics of aging. Since fruit flies have a life cycle of just two weeks, Rand said "it's a fast way to get at the genes and then we can go to human models and ask if we can validate these effects in humans."

In another area, Alper Uzun, a professor of pediatrics, is hoping to learn more about a life threatening complication of pregnancy.

"How or what kind of gene networks are associated with preeclampsia," Uzun said.

Preeclampsia is a common condition in pregnant women, characterized by high blood pressure and signs of organ damage. It can be fatal to the mother or the baby -- or both.

At Brown, they're collecting blood samples and trying to piece together the genes associated with the condition.

"Then, we can find some hotspots in order to prevent the disease," Uzun said.

In yet another lab, Shipra Vaishnava is studying mice to try to better understand irritable bowel disease.

"What we have are mice that have no bacteria at all," said Vaishnava.

The mice live in a sterile environment, which means no human contact.

"And now we can add a simple microbial community and see what the effect of the host is to that," Vaishnava said.

Other research in the new center for computational biology of human disease involves the biology of lung infections and genetic risks for leukemia.

"I think the immediate goal is to try and understand the biology behind these diseases and identify new pathways that we can discover and identifying that may lead to drugs," Rand said.

Another important component of this research is bringing together experienced researchers with junior faculty, essentially grooming them to continue this important research down the road.