Our research is aimed at understanding how molecular information can give rise to complex biological behaviour. Using computational methods, we study the organization and dynamics of cellular components within the context of integrated biological systems. Comparative genomics methods are also being applied to provide insights into how these systems may have evolved from the remote origins of life.

The application of various 'omic'-technologies is leading to the generation of vast amounts of data. Genomics and proteomics provide information on cellular components, their interactions and evolutionary relationships. Functional genomics approaches involving microarrays, RNAi and genetic interaction screens help elucidate their function and organization within biochemical pathways. While recent advances in microscopy are beginning to identify the location and dynamic behaviour of cellular components within the cell.

The availability of these complementary resources not only enhances functional insight into individual genes and protein families, but is also paving the way for an exciting new era of "Systems Biology" wherein, for the first time, entire assemblies of interacting biomolecular components can be comprehensively studied at multiple levels of biological abstraction. The current challenge is to develop new computational tools and analytical procedures that allow us to integrate these various datasets. Applied within a comparative and dynamic context, our lab aims to provide a more complete understanding of pathway interplay and the adaptive mechanisms that link and coordinate the cellular machinery to the biological processes that they modulate.

Our research can be classified into five overlapping themes:

• Computational simulations - Our lab has created a series of 3D computer models to simulate cellular processes such as metabolism and lipid raft mediated signalling.
• Comparative genomics - We use partial and complete genome sequences to explore sequence diversity and the evolution of biological pathways and complexes.
• The Extracellular Matrix - The extracellular matrix provides multicellular organisms with their basic biological form, we are interested in understanding how the matrix evolved and how it is organized to provide fundamental mechanical properties.
• Network Biology - In collaboration with other researchers in Toronto, we are interested in examining the structure and function of biological networks such as physical protein-protein interactions.
• Parasites - The apicomplexa are a group of related protist parasites that include Plasmodium and Toxoplasma - the causative agents of malaria and toxoplasmosis. In collaboration with Dr Michael Grigg at the NIH, our lab combines network biology with comparative genomics to identify genes that are critical to the survivial of toxoplasma within the human host.