CLEMSON, South Carolina Yunhui Peng, a doctoral student in Clemson UniversityCollege of Sciences department of physics and astronomy, receiveda 2017 Chateaubriand Fellowship fromthe Embassy of France in the United States. Starting in fall 2017, Peng will travel to Paris Diderot University for a nine-month fellowship to advance his studies of disease-causing mutations.
Peng, who originally is from Ankang, a city in the Shaanxi Province in China, is a fourth-year doctoral student in professor Emil Alexovs Computational Biophysics and Bioinformatics lab. Alexov and his lab members focus their research on the computational modeling of biological macromolecules, such as lipids, nucleic acids and proteins. They also maintain the software for a scientific application called DelPhi, which calculates the electrostatic potential of these macromolecules. The study of disease-causing mutations is a specific interest for those in the Alexov lab.
Yunhui Peng is a fourth-year doctoral student in professor Emil Alexovs Computational Biophysics and Bioinformatics lab. Image Credit: Yunhui Peng
The project in France actually has a very good connection with my current research analyzing disease-causing mutations of proteins, Peng said. We know that proteins are basic functional units of the human body, so mutations in their genetic precursors mean there will be changes on the proteins that have very profound effects. Mostly, these effects are detrimental and cause disease; thus, my current studies have me reviewing the molecular outcomes of the mutations to find out why they cause disease.
Every year, the Chateaubriand Fellowship in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Biology-Health is granted to approximately 50 exceptional doctoral students in the STEM and health disciplines at American universities. Peng was chosen for the fellowship in part because of the large strides hes made in Alexovs lab.
Yunhui is an outstanding Ph.D. student in my lab, Alexov said. He has already published six peer-reviewed papers, five of which as the first author. Four other papers are currently under review and in one of them, Mr. Peng is first and corresponding author. This is much more than one expects from a graduate student. His performance is excellent he is an expert in computational biophysics.
Alexov went on to underscore the breakthroughs that Peng has discovered since he began studying at Clemson University.
In my lab, Yunhui has developed a new method for predicting binding affinity changes of protein-DNA complexes that are caused by mutations. This is extremely important for understanding the effect of disease-causing mutations on protein-DNA binding, Alexov said. Using a variety of techniques, Yunhui also developed a structural model of a protein thats structure is not available experimentally. The model is crucial for studying effects of mutations causing mental disorders. He pioneered investigation on the role of proton transfer in protein nucleic acid binding. This study revealed various mechanisms of interactions occurring at protein nucleic acid interfaces that affects ionization states of titratable sites.
Funding for the Chateaubriand Fellowship is provided by the Embassy of France in partnership with French research organizations and the National Science Foundations GROW program, which supports opportunities for American graduate students to participate in international research.
During his stay in France, Peng will work to identify potential drugs that can cure disease and rescue the effects of disease-causing mutations. Not only is he excited to study abroad, but hes hopeful that his research will one day benefit others.
The diseases I study are ones that affect many people, Peng said. There are parents who come to Dr. Alexovs office asking for help, because their child has a particular disorder one that our group is working on and theres no existing treatment for that disease. So I hope that my work will be able to help those people in the future.
END
Continued here:
Clemson graduate student headed to Paris after receiving fellowship - Clemson Newsstand
- MOgene Announces Partnership with Intuitive Genomics to Expand Bioinformatics Capabilities - January 28th, 2013 [January 28th, 2013]
- Bioinformatics Organization - Bioinformatics.Org Wiki - January 17th, 2014 [January 17th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Market by Application (Genomics, Molecular Phylogenetics, Metabolomics, Proteomics, Chemoinformatics ... - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Master of Science - Northeastern ... - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Master of Science in Bioinformatics | AAP | JHU - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics - Bioinformatics.Org Wiki - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Organization - Bioinformatics.Org - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - April 9th, 2014 [April 9th, 2014]
- Identified epigenetic factors associated with increased risk of developing cancer - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- Home | Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics tool - Video - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- individual assignment CADD-Bioinformatics tools - Video - April 10th, 2014 [April 10th, 2014]
- MARC travel awards announced for the 2014 Great Lakes Bioinformatics Conference - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- PH genome center unveils facility powered by IBM supercomputer - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- Part 1 : Introduction to Bioinformatics, PDB and EMBL-EBI - Video - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics - Video - April 15th, 2014 [April 15th, 2014]
- March's Bioinformatics Papers of Note - April 18th, 2014 [April 18th, 2014]
- BMC Bioinformatics - BioMed Central | The Open Access ... - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- Bioinformaticsweb.co.nr:Open Access Bioinformatics ... - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- Penn Bioinformatics Profiling Identifies a New Mammalian Clock Gene - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- Bioinformatics profiling identifies a new mammalian clock gene - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- UST Bioinformatics 2014 Project YOUTUBE - Video - April 22nd, 2014 [April 22nd, 2014]
- First Sex Determining Genes Appeared In Mammals Some 180 Million Years Ago - April 25th, 2014 [April 25th, 2014]
- Pronounce Medical Words Bioinformatics - Video - April 25th, 2014 [April 25th, 2014]
- Funding Update: NIH Bioinformatics Grants Awarded March 13, April 24, 2014 - April 25th, 2014 [April 25th, 2014]
- BIOINFORMATICS - blogspot.com - April 25th, 2014 [April 25th, 2014]
- Biology, Computers Collide in High-Demand Field of Bioinformatics - Video - April 25th, 2014 [April 25th, 2014]
- Researchers Discover Effect Of Circulating Cell Types On Cardiovascular Health - April 30th, 2014 [April 30th, 2014]
- The Genomics and Bioinformatics Group - April 30th, 2014 [April 30th, 2014]
- BIT001 Bioinformatics assignments 5 and 6 - Video - April 30th, 2014 [April 30th, 2014]
- Visual Genome Analysis Suite Bioinformatics Software Demonstration - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Erasing the line between biology and hacking Krystal Thomas White and Patrick Thomas - Video - May 1st, 2014 [May 1st, 2014]
- Cambridge genomics duo in the steps of Pasteur - May 2nd, 2014 [May 2nd, 2014]
- bioinformatics-phamerator - Video - May 3rd, 2014 [May 3rd, 2014]
- Metal Slug 3 Soundtrack - Bioinformatics Extendido - Video - May 3rd, 2014 [May 3rd, 2014]
- Bioinformatics approach helps researchers find new uses for old drug - May 5th, 2014 [May 5th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Approach Helps Researchers Find New Use for Old Drug - May 5th, 2014 [May 5th, 2014]
- Biotech industry to touch $7-bn mark by FY15: Study - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- Biotech industry to touch $7 bn mark by FY15-end: study - May 6th, 2014 [May 6th, 2014]
- How immune cells use steroids - May 9th, 2014 [May 9th, 2014]
- IP Update: New York University, Microsoft among Recent Bioinformatics Patent Winners - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- Introduction to Bioinformatics Presenter - Video - May 10th, 2014 [May 10th, 2014]
- Dr. Jessica Schlueter Discusses Bioinformatics Research - Video - May 11th, 2014 [May 11th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Software Carpentry Bootcamp - Session 4 - Video - May 11th, 2014 [May 11th, 2014]
- SBRI backs Eagles genomic data technology - May 12th, 2014 [May 12th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics firm SolveBio Seeks to Build Business on Providing Painless Access to Curated Data - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Szilak Lab Bioinformatics and Molecule Design, HUNGARY (MIT-LS 2014) - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- Happy birthday Prof Usman from bioinformatics team - Video - May 16th, 2014 [May 16th, 2014]
- KARUNYA BIOINFORMATICS - Video - May 18th, 2014 [May 18th, 2014]
- Global Market for Biomarkers to Reach $53.6 Billion in 2018; Bioinformatics to Move at 17.4% CAGR - May 20th, 2014 [May 20th, 2014]
- Careers in Bioinformatics and Precision Medicine - Career Development Week - Video - May 21st, 2014 [May 21st, 2014]
- Big Data Lets Cancer Researchers Put Old Drugs to New Uses - May 22nd, 2014 [May 22nd, 2014]
- Fugeneio The Fest - Fugeitorium - Bioinformatics Experience in 3D - Video - May 22nd, 2014 [May 22nd, 2014]
- The Hyve - OpenSource Bioinformatics - Video - May 24th, 2014 [May 24th, 2014]
- DNA sequences on the go, with an app born in a Singapore lab - May 29th, 2014 [May 29th, 2014]
- :: 29, May 2014 :: POCKET SCIENCE: NEW MOBILE APPLICATION ENABLES DNA ANALYSIS ON THE GO - May 29th, 2014 [May 29th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of over 23.0% from 2014 to 2020 New Report Published By Grand View ... - May 29th, 2014 [May 29th, 2014]
- Professor Bud Mishra, PhD Joins the Science Advisory Board of InSilico Medicine Engaged in Aging Research for Drug ... - May 30th, 2014 [May 30th, 2014]
- A holistic view on bioinformatics market - Video - June 1st, 2014 [June 1st, 2014]
- Viral Safety Testing using an advanced next generation sequencing and bioinformatics platform - Video - June 1st, 2014 [June 1st, 2014]
- Balti and Bioinformatics - Tom Connor - CLIMB - Video - June 2nd, 2014 [June 2nd, 2014]
- Global Bioinformatics Market All Set to Register a CAGR of 21.2% According to The Newly Added Report at Analyze Future - June 4th, 2014 [June 4th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics basic database and tools - Video - June 4th, 2014 [June 4th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Market Reports by Analyze Future - Video - June 4th, 2014 [June 4th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics | Johns Hopkins University Engineering for ... - June 6th, 2014 [June 6th, 2014]
- Global Bioinformatics Market Report by Truemarketresearch - Video - June 7th, 2014 [June 7th, 2014]
- A Web-Based System for Automatic Bioinformatics Data Classification - Video - June 12th, 2014 [June 12th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Welcome Video - Video - June 12th, 2014 [June 12th, 2014]
- Bioinformatics Services: Surfing the Data Wave - Video - June 12th, 2014 [June 12th, 2014]
- 4th International Conference on Proteomics & Bioinformatics - Video - June 12th, 2014 [June 12th, 2014]
- Institute of Bioinformatics featured on Rajyasabha TV - Video - June 14th, 2014 [June 14th, 2014]
- Global Bioinformatics Market - Analysis, Opportunities, Segmentation and Forecast, 2013 - 2020 - Video - June 21st, 2014 [June 21st, 2014]
- 6/18/14 Bioinformatics: Computer Technology & Biological Info on Across The Fence - Video - June 21st, 2014 [June 21st, 2014]
- JAX, Frasergen announce cancer genomics facility in Hubei Province, China - June 22nd, 2014 [June 22nd, 2014]
- UK-Colombia alliance on global food security - June 22nd, 2014 [June 22nd, 2014]
- Global Bioinformatics Market Size, Trends, Analysis, Report, Growth, Forecast 2013 - 2020 - Video - June 23rd, 2014 [June 23rd, 2014]
- Aging Accelerates Genomic Changes, Signaling Challenges for Personalized Medicine - June 24th, 2014 [June 24th, 2014]
- Researchers treat incarceration as a disease epidemic, discover small changes help - June 26th, 2014 [June 26th, 2014]
- Atul Butte, MD, discusses bioinformatics in pediatric health, Packard Children's Hospital - Video - June 27th, 2014 [June 27th, 2014]
- Metal Slug 3 OST#23 Bioinformatics - Video - June 27th, 2014 [June 27th, 2014]