Methods for association studies for the identification of genetic diseases

Creation of a platform for association studies for population analysis and animal and plant studies.

We will integrate programs for association studies that require intensive computations with genomics analysis programs. These systems will be valuable resource for projects concerning the genetics analysis of isolated populations.

In this research area there are several different national projects that the departments of Medicine and of Life Science participate in with a great number of researchers involved in the collection of isolated population's data (Sardegna, Calabria, Cilento). The significant amount of data produced by these project requires the creation of innovative algorithms for tackling the mathematical and statistical complexity of these analysis in the next few years.

Furthermore the CNR-Bioinformatics Project promoted the skills to cope with statistical analysis aimed at the identification of genes linked to diseases of medical interest in isolated populations.on the basis of quantitative traits.

Competences in the components of the project will improve the statistical techniques of linkage analysis using information gathered on genealogy, health and DNA analysis to identify genes which may be the potential cause of disease.