Clare Bates Congdon is Cracking the H1N1 Code
March 4, 2010
Cracking the H1N1 Code
Dr. Clare Bates Congdon, an assistant professor of computer science at USM, with help from her team of undergraduate students, is working on a new project with collaborators at Washington University and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico to study the Swine Flu (H1N1) outbreak of 2009.
The project will compare genetic sequences from hundreds of related human, swine, and avian viruses in an effort to model the evolutionary path of the disease and to better understand the potential threats to human health.
Biologist Dr. Gerardo M. Nava, who curated the extensive flu data, sought the assistance of Congdon because of her expertise in “phylogenetics,” the study of evolutionary relationships among organisms. The goal of this work is to reconstruct hypothesized evolutionary histories through the creation of “trees of life.” Using a high-capacity computer with 32GB of memory, Congdon and her USM team will initially interpret the large amount of data collected by Nava using software commonly used by biologists. In future studies, they will be adapting the software to better model the evolution of viruses.
Sketching out influenza’s “tree of life” will show how this common virus has evolved, how the deadly 1918 flu compares to the 2009 outbreak, and how the virus adapts over time. The team is looking at more than 1,500 sequences from samples dating as far back as 1918. “With our expertise, we can customize the software, allowing for the flu’s unique characteristics, and likely come up with a clearer picture of Swine Flu’s origins,” says Congdon.
Ultimately, the researchers hope these answers will not only improve treatment, but give a better sense of how the virus is initially transmitted, which will lead to better preventative measures.
The University of Southern Maine (USM) offers its nearly 10,000 students more than 115 areas of undergraduate and graduate study. USM’s location in southern Maine, a region cited as one of the most liveable in the country, offers a range of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.
