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Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) are helping the National Institutes of Health create a 3D cellular map of the human body that will better understand how different tissues work.
Image credit: yanee kittitanapakorn / Shutterstock
Although the genome is present in all cells, its functions vary in different organs and tissues.
The Bio-Molecular Human Atlas (HuBMAP) program aims to show which genes and which proteins are activated in each part of the body.
"It's really the next step in the human genome project," says Ziv Bar-Joseph, professor of computational biology and machine learning at CMU.
The project will provide researchers with more in-depth information on how the billions of cells in our body are laid out in tissues to fulfill the functions that keep us alive and healthy.
The way in which different cells are organized, specialized and their mode of cooperation is essential for the growth, function and aging of tissues.
If researchers can understand, for example, how the activity of certain immune cells evolves, they may be able to detect early warnings of the disease before symptoms manifest themselves.
We are delighted that HuBMAP is beginning its journey to expand our understanding of the principles of tissue organization. We expect HuBMAP to provide a vital framework for global efforts to comprehensively understand the human body at the biomolecular level. "
Dr. James Anderson, NIH
Some research groups involved in HuBMAP will produce new data on how cells are organized in different tissues and organs, while others will focus on the computational methods needed to process massive amounts of data and develop the high resolution map.
Building a high resolution map of cells in our body is a major challenge for both biologists and computer scientists and will provide a huge benefit for our understanding of disease and aging. "
Andrew Moore, Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science at CMU
Source:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-09/cmu-cmw092418.php
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