This will result in a database of mapping information which will in phase 2 of the project be used in the construction of cross-genomic maps. The student will partly automate the process of creating comparative maps, by extending known techniques. Design of a high level language allowing the biologists to integrate different software tools. Development of tools allowing for software integration. Prototyping and testing of integration methods with tools enabling bacterial genomics research.
Bacterial genomics require a combination of different software tools.
For example, the Pedant database provides translated proteins for many bacterial genomes, but to view those proteins, data from Pedant would have to be imported, and converted to a format required by Artemis software, or by a map browser which could display the map of predicted genes. Finally, we have suffix tree software allowing for exact querying of sequence, but no tools to automate the connection between this software and map display applets. Computational analysis of microbial pathogen genomes allows us to identify genes that may be important in the ability of the organism to cause disease. We can also quickly identify genes that may be good targets for new anti-microbial drugs. Use of integrated software packages would both facilitate and streamline this gene identification programme.