Cluster Lead:
Tremendous progress has been made over the past three decades in unlocking the mysteries of life. This progress has been driven by a combination of advances in technologies that enable the sequencing of biomolecules (DNA/Protein) and the development of efficient computational algorithms to analyze the large quantities of data generated by these technologies. These advances have allowed us to decipher the genomes of thousands of species and provided significant insights into the inner workings of cells. The study of biological systems and their genomes is an interdisciplinary research area, and progress has been driven by contributions from both biological and mathematical sciences.
The Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster (GBC) was created to inspire cross-cutting research that leverages UCF’s strengths in medicine, evolution and ecology, and computer science. GBC faculty use genomic tools to address research questions in a wide range of areas in the biological domain, including (i) monitoring biodiversity and understanding how it is impacted by environmental factors, (ii) studying the evolution and spread of infectious diseases, (iii) understanding the genetic basis of different cancers, (iv) predicting drug responses, and (v) understanding the structure and function of microbial ecosystems. On the computational front, research focus areas include combinatorial algorithms, machine learning and AI to enable efficient analysis of big data in genomics.
UCF Colleges Involved with Genomics and Bioinformatics Research:
In The News
Monitoring Genetic Mutations Will Be Important for Florida Panther Management
In a new study led by UCF, researchers discovered a suite of mutations in Florida panthers that originated from Texas…
New Genetic Clues Could be Key to Saving Sea Turtles from Mysterious Disease
UCF researchers have discovered 116 new-to-science alleles, or gene variants, that could play a role in protecting sea turtles from…
Study Finds Critical Data Needed for Monitoring and Preserving Biodiversity is Missing
The missing data includes important information about genomic sequence data such as the time and location an organism is sampled.
Genomics and Bioinformatics Research
Projects
Publications
- “Multi-omics data integration by generative adversarial network”, Wei Zhang, Ph.D., Khandakar Tanvir Ahmed, Ph.D., Jiao Sun, Ph.D., Sze Cheng, Ph.D., Jeongsik Yong, Ph.D., Bioinformatics btab608: Aug, 2021
- “In silico model for miRNA-mediated regulatory network in cancer”, Wei Zhang, Ph.D., Khandakar Tanvir Ahmed, Ph.D., Jiao Sun, Ph.D., William Chen, Ph.D., Irene Martinez, Ph.D., Sze Cheng, Ph.D., Wencai Zhang, Ph.D., Jeongsik Yong, Ph.D., Briefings in Bioinformatics bbab264: Jul, 2021
- “PumaPlex100: an expanded tool for puma SNP genotyping with low-yield DNA”, Robert Fitak, Ph.D., John A. Erwin, Ph.D., Melanie Culver, Ph.D., Conservation Genetics Resources 13, 341–343: Apr, 2021
- “Exopolysaccharide Anchoring Creates an Extreme Resistance to Sedimentation”, Sean Moore, Ph.D., Nickolas G. Kessler, Ph.D., David M. Caraballo Delgado, Ph.D., Neel K. Shah, Ph.D., Jeff A. Dickinson, Ph.D., Journal of Bacteriology 203(11), e00023-21: May, 2021
- “Pulmonary Microbiome of Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation: Changes Over Time”, ., Shibu Yooseph, Ph.D., Mary Lou Sole, Ph.D., RN, CCNS, CNL, Steven Talbert, Ph.D., RN, Bassam Abomoelak, Ph.D., MT, Chirajyoti Deb, Ph.D., Kimberly Paige Rathburn, BSN, RN, Daleen Penoyer, Ph.D., RN, CCRP, Aurea Middleton, BSN, RN, & Devendra Mehta, MBBS, MSc, MRCP, American Journal of Critical Care 30 (2): 128–132: Mar, 2021
- “Peroxidized Linoleic Acid, 13-HPODE, Alters Gene Expression Profile in Intestinal Epithelial Cells”, ., Anna Forsman, Ph.D., Shibu Yooseph, Ph.D., Nisreen Faizo, Ph.D., Chandrakala Aluganti Narasimhulu, Ph.D., & Sampath Parthasarathy, Ph.D., Foods 10(2), 314: Feb, 2021
- “Bacterial community structure alterations within the colorectal cancer gut microbiome”, ., Shibu Yooseph, Ph.D., Mark Loftus, Ph.D., & Sayf Al-Deen Hassouneh, Ph.D., , BMC Microbiology 21, 98: Mar, 2021
- “Identification of Nasal Gammaproteobacteria with Potent Activity against Staphylococcus aureus: Novel Insights into the "Noncarrier" State”, ., Anna Forsman, Ph.D., Shibu Yooseph, Ph.D., Amy L. Cole, Ph.D., Meera Sundar, Ph.D., Ana Lopez, Ph.D., Alexander M. Cole, Ph.D., mSphere 6(1):e01015-20: Jan, 2021
- “Genomic and morphological evidence of distinct populations in the endemic common (weedy) seadragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus (Syngnathidae) along the east coast of Australia”, ., Michelle Gaither, Ph.D., O. Selma Klanten, Ph.D., Samuel Greaves, Ph.D., Kade Mills, Ph.D., Kristine O’Keeffe, Ph.D., John Turnbull, Ph.D., Rob McKinnon, Ph.D., David J. Booth, Ph.D., PloS One: Dec, 2020
- “Bacterial associations in the healthy human gut microbiome across populations”, Scientific Reports: Sep, 2020
- “Building a global genomics observatory: Using GEOME (the Genomic Observatories Metadatabase) to expedite and improve deposition and retrieval of genetic data and metadata for biodiversity research”, ., Michelle Gaither, Ph.D., Cynthia Riginos, Ph.D., Eric D. Crandall, Ph.D., Libby Liggins, Ph.D., Rodney B. Ewing, Ph.D., Christopher Meyer, Ph.D., Kimberly R. Andrews, Ph.D., Peter T. Euclide, Ph.D., Benjamin M. Titus, Ph.D., Nina Overgaard Therkildsen, Ph.D., Antonia Salces-Castellano, Ph.D., Lucy C. Stewart, Ph.D., Robert J. Toonen, Ph.D., John Deck, Ph.D., Molecular Ecology Resources 20 (6), 1458-1469: Oct, 2020
- “Does color matter? Molecular and ecological divergence in four sympatric color morphs of a coral reef fish”, ., Michelle Gaither, Ph.D., Darren J. Coker, Ph.D., Samuel Greaves, Ph.D., Fatih Sarigol, Ph.D., Samuel D. Payet, Ph.D., Veronica Chaidez, Ph.D., Tane H. Sinclair-Taylor, Ph.D., Joseph D. DiBattista, Ph.D., Michael L. Berumen, Ph.D., Ecology and Evolution 10 (18), 9663-9681: Sep, 2020
- “Pulse magnetization elicits differential gene expression in the central nervous system of the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus”, ., Robert Fitak, Ph.D., David A. Ernst, Ph.D., Manfred Schmidt, Ph.D., Charles D. Derby, Ph.D., Sönke Johnsen, Ph.D., & Kenneth J. Lohmann, Ph.D., Journal of Comparative Physiology A 206, 725–74: Jun, 2020
- “Symbiotic magnetic sensing: raising evidence and beyond”, Robert Fitak, Ph.D., Eviatar Natan, Ph.D., Yuval Werber, Ph.D., Yoni Vortman, Ph.D., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 37520190595: Aug, 2020
- “Population genomic response to geographic gradients by widespread and endemic fishes of the Arabian Peninsula”, ., Yan Solihin, Ph.D., Yuanchao Xu, Ph.D., Xipeng Shen, Ph.D., Ecology and Evolution pp. 987-1000: Apr, 2020
- “Gray whales strand more often on days with increased levels of atmospheric radio-frequency noise”, Robert Fitak, Ph.D., Jesse Granger, Ph.D., Lucianne Walkowicz, Ph.D., Sönke Johnsen, Ph.D., Current Biology 30(4):R155-R156: Feb, 2020
- “Genomic signatures of domestication in Old World camels”, Robert Fitak, Ph.D., Elmira Mohandesan, Ph.D., Jukka Corander, Ph.D., Adiya Yadamsuren, Ph.D., Battsetseg Chuluunbat, Ph.D., Omer Abdelhadi, Ph.D., Abdul Raziq, Ph.D., Peter Nagy, Ph.D., Chris Walzer, Ph.D., Bernard Faye, Ph.D., Pamela Anna Burger, Ph.D., Communications Biology 3, 316: Jun, 2020
- “The physiology of rapid ecological specialization: A look at the Midas cichlids”, ., Michelle Gaither, Ph.D., Samuel Greaves, Ph.D., Pavithiran Amirthalingam, Ph.D., Molecular Ecology 29(7), 1215-1218: Mar, 2020
- “Multiple origins of green coloration in frogs mediated by a novel biliverdin-binding serpin”, Robert Fitak, Ph.D., Carlos Taboada, Ph.D., Andrés E. Brunetti, Ph.D., Mariana L. Lyra, Ph.D., Ana Faigón Soverna, Ph.D., Santiago R. Ron, Ph.D., María G. Lagorio, Ph.D., Célio F. B. Haddad, Ph.D., Norberto P. Lopes, Ph.D., Sönke Johnsen, Ph.D., Julián Faivovich, Ph.D., Lucía B. Chemes, Ph.D., Sara E. Bari, Ph.D., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117 (31) 18574-18581: Jul, 2020
- “De Novo Assembly and Annotation from Parental and F1 Puma Genomes of the Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Program”, Robert Fitak, Ph.D., Alexander Ochoa, Ph.D., David P Onorato, Ph.D., Melody E Roelke-Parker, Ph.D., Melanie Culver, Ph.D., G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics 9(11), 3531-3536: Nov, 2019
Genomics and Bioinformatics Degree Programs
Programs to train students in the fundamental theory, methodologies, and applications of genomics.
Genomics and Bioinformatics Faculty
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Salvador Almagro-Moreno, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences -
Taj Azarian, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences -
Charissa de Bekker, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology -
Robert Fitak, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology -
Anna Forsman, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Scientist of Biology -
Michelle Gaither, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology -
Carmen Giurgescu, Ph.D.
Professor of Nursing -
Eric Hoffman, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology -
Annette Khaled, Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical Sciences -
Sean Moore, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences -
Anna Savage, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology -
Sharma Thankachan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science -
Shibu Yooseph, Ph.D.
Professor of Computer Science -
Shaojie Zhang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer Science -
Wei Zhang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science -
Nancy Hu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science407-882-0134