Carnegie Mellon scientists unveil new tool to understand evolution of multi-domain genes

Although designed for multi-domain families, Durand notes that Neighborhood Correlation also accurately predicts ancestry in single domain sequences. The researchers hope that scientists will begin to apply the analysis to genomic studies to better understand the role multi-domain proteins play in important evolutionary events, such as the emergence of multicellular animals and the vertebrate immune system.

Other study authors include Carnegie Mellon’s Nan Song, Jacob Joseph and George Davis. Team members are affiliated with the Ray and Stephanie Lane Center for Computational Biology, the Department of Biological Sciences and the School of Computer Science.

The study was funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation.

Carnegie Mellon's Mellon College of Science maintains innovative research and educational programs in biological sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and several interdisciplinary areas. For more information about Durand’s research, visit http://www.cmu.edu/bio/contacts/faculty/durand.shtml.

About Carnegie Mellon: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. A small student-to-faculty ratio provides an opportunity for close interaction between students and professors. While technology is pervasive on its 144-acre Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon is also distinctive among leading research universities for the world-renowned programs in its College of Fine Arts. A global university, Carnegie Mellon has campuses in Silicon Valley, Calif., and Qatar, and programs in Asia, Australia and Europe. For more, see www.cmu.edu.