Computational Modeling of Genetic Processes
by Ian McQuillan, University of Western Ontario
We will computationally model and study two
specific genetic processes: the inherent method of gene
scrambling/descrambling present in stichotrichous ciliates and the
data compression used in some viral genomes. We
will formalize each system and analyze each computationally
and combinatorially.
By establishing similarities between these processes
and computer science, one can use the methods and concepts
already available to computer scientists in their study.
After doing so, we will discuss the relevance of the proposed and
obtained results to our biological comprehension, to our
acceptance of various hypotheses and also to theoretical computer
science.
Further work on these and other systems using this approach and
establishing general connections between the two fields are discussed.