Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology
Encyclopedia
The Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology (MCISB) at the University of Manchester
, England
has been awarded £6.4M by the BBSRC and EPSRC to pioneer the development of new experimental and computational technologies in Systems Biology
, and their exploitation. It is one of six BBSRC Integrative Systems Biology Research Centres in the UK. Through its Doctoral Training Centre, it is also involved in teaching the theoretical and practical aspects of systems biology.
The MCISB is based on the second floor of the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre
(MIB).
, protein
s or metabolite
s, and seeks to integrate these different levels of information. The MCISB is intended to provide a hub for cutting-edge Systems Biology research, acting as a focal point for the creation of the necessary ideas and infrastructure, and establishing new methods and routines.
In the research to be carried out at the MCISB, the baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae
) will initially be used as a model organism, because it is highly amenable to genetic manipulations
and to high-throughput technologies
, thus offering an excellent starting position for demonstrating the principles and methods of Systems Biology.
A key focus of the MCISB is the development and application of high-throughput methods for the quantitative measurement of kinetic
and binding constants on a genome wide scale. A second challenge is the mining (both text mining
and database mining
) of existing sources of information, and integrate these with the experimental data generated within the MCISB. The resulting dataset will be used to construct predictive mathematical model
s of metabolic pathways, employing both forward kinetic modelling (systems of ODE
s) and inverse modelling. This should lead to computer models of (parts of) living cells. Some models are already available for in silico
experimentation, others will be developed within the centre.
The MCISB consists of a Management Team of nine Principal Investigators that steers the Centre, and an interdisciplinary team employed as Experimental Officers of the Centre.
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
has been awarded £6.4M by the BBSRC and EPSRC to pioneer the development of new experimental and computational technologies in Systems Biology
Systems biology
Systems biology is a term used to describe a number of trends in bioscience research, and a movement which draws on those trends. Proponents describe systems biology as a biology-based inter-disciplinary study field that focuses on complex interactions in biological systems, claiming that it uses...
, and their exploitation. It is one of six BBSRC Integrative Systems Biology Research Centres in the UK. Through its Doctoral Training Centre, it is also involved in teaching the theoretical and practical aspects of systems biology.
The MCISB is based on the second floor of the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre
Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre
The Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre , also called 'The John Garside Building', is a research institute of the University of Manchester, England which has been designed to enable academic communities to explore specific areas of interdisciplinary quantitative bioscience, largely through the...
(MIB).
Areas of research
The MCISB aims in pioneering the development of new experimental and computational technologies in Systems Biology and aiding in their exploitation. Systems Biology, being a rather new field, is developing and expanding rapidly. The common denominator of the research carried out in this field is that it co-evolves mathematical and experimental descriptions of interacting parts of organisms, e.g. global datasets of variables such as transcriptsMessenger RNA
Messenger RNA is a molecule of RNA encoding a chemical "blueprint" for a protein product. mRNA is transcribed from a DNA template, and carries coding information to the sites of protein synthesis: the ribosomes. Here, the nucleic acid polymer is translated into a polymer of amino acids: a protein...
, protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
s or metabolite
Metabolite
Metabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. The term metabolite is usually restricted to small molecules. A primary metabolite is directly involved in normal growth, development, and reproduction. Alcohol is an example of a primary metabolite produced in large-scale by industrial...
s, and seeks to integrate these different levels of information. The MCISB is intended to provide a hub for cutting-edge Systems Biology research, acting as a focal point for the creation of the necessary ideas and infrastructure, and establishing new methods and routines.
In the research to be carried out at the MCISB, the baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast. It is perhaps the most useful yeast, having been instrumental to baking and brewing since ancient times. It is believed that it was originally isolated from the skin of grapes...
) will initially be used as a model organism, because it is highly amenable to genetic manipulations
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
and to high-throughput technologies
High-throughput screening
High-throughput screening is a method for scientific experimentation especially used in drug discovery and relevant to the fields of biology and chemistry. Using robotics, data processing and control software, liquid handling devices, and sensitive detectors, High-Throughput Screening allows a...
, thus offering an excellent starting position for demonstrating the principles and methods of Systems Biology.
A key focus of the MCISB is the development and application of high-throughput methods for the quantitative measurement of kinetic
Enzyme kinetics
Enzyme kinetics is the study of the chemical reactions that are catalysed by enzymes. In enzyme kinetics, the reaction rate is measured and the effects of varying the conditions of the reaction investigated...
and binding constants on a genome wide scale. A second challenge is the mining (both text mining
Text mining
Text mining, sometimes alternately referred to as text data mining, roughly equivalent to text analytics, refers to the process of deriving high-quality information from text. High-quality information is typically derived through the devising of patterns and trends through means such as...
and database mining
Structured data mining
Structure mining or structured data mining is the process of finding and extracting useful information from semi structured data sets. Graph mining is a special case of structured data mining.-Description:...
) of existing sources of information, and integrate these with the experimental data generated within the MCISB. The resulting dataset will be used to construct predictive mathematical model
Mathematical model
A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language. The process of developing a mathematical model is termed mathematical modeling. Mathematical models are used not only in the natural sciences and engineering disciplines A mathematical model is a...
s of metabolic pathways, employing both forward kinetic modelling (systems of ODE
ODE
ODE may refer to:* Ohio Department of Education, the state education agency of Ohio* Omicron Delta Epsilon, an international honor society in the field of economics* Open Dynamics Engine, a real-time physics engine...
s) and inverse modelling. This should lead to computer models of (parts of) living cells. Some models are already available for in silico
In silico
In silico is an expression used to mean "performed on computer or via computer simulation." The phrase was coined in 1989 as an analogy to the Latin phrases in vivo and in vitro which are commonly used in biology and refer to experiments done in living organisms and outside of living organisms,...
experimentation, others will be developed within the centre.
Members
Principal Investigators (Management Team)
- David Broomhead (Chair in Applied Mathematics; Director, Turing Institute)
- Carole Goble (Professor of Computer Science)
- Roy Goodacre (Professor of Biological Chemistry)
- Simon Hubbard (Faculty of Life Sciences)
- Pedro Mendes (Professor in Computational Systems Biology, MCISB)
- Norman Paton (Chair in Computer Science; co-Director, Information Management Group)
- Hans Westerhoff (AstraZeneca Professor of Systems Biology, School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science; Director, MCISB)
- Anthony Whetton (Head of School of Cancer & Imaging Sciences and Professor of Cancer Cell Biology)
- Michael White (Professor of Life Sciences)
Experimental Officers
- Kathleen Carroll
- Rick Dunn
- Ettore Murabito
- Kieran Smallbone
- Neil Swainston
Former members
- Neil Hayes
- Naglis Malys
- Evangelos Simeonidis
- Irena Spasic
- Dieter Weichart
- Jill Wishart
External links
- MCISB web site
- BBSRC web site
- Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre – official website