I have now moved from Populus genomics to work on Microbial forensics...

Integrative tools for studying gene regulation in aspen leaves

A dramatic shift has been seen in biology during the last decade. Modern biology has entered a genomic era with new genomes being sequenced at an ever-increasing speed. High-throughput technologies allow the simultaneous measurement of thousands of characteristics in biological systems such as proteins , metabolites and RNA . The amount of public data available has open possibilities to study thousands of genes at the same time. This drift from a univariate view of biology to systems biology demands totally different competences from researchers. It is no longer enough to be skilled at lab bench work only; basic knowledge in bioinformatics and data handling are needed. Modern biology can't continue to evolve without the support of solid bioinformatic infrastructures.

Gene expression is supposed to be directly influenced of how the tree is attempting to adjust its metabolism and development as a consequence of an changing environment. Traditionally, the scientist that had aimed at understanding regulation of gene expression has studied his/hers favourite gene(s) and tried to understand what lies behind the regulation. Big progress in computer science and laboratory methods have, however, enabled simultaneously studies of thousands genes by the DNA microarray technology.

UPSC-BASE is a valuable resource for transcriptomics in Populus. However, end-users need to have knowledge about the microarray technology to handle and sort stored information. There is now enough microarray data publicly available in Populus to allow creation of a Populus resource similar to Genevestigator. The new PopGenIE database allow extraction of gene expression data for genes of interest without the need to understand advanced analysis tools.

• UPSC-BASE [http://www.upscbase.db.umu.se]
• PopGenIE [http://popgenie.org]
• Populus Genome Portal [http://populusgenome.org] [http://poplargenome.org] [http://populusgenome.info] [http://populusgenome.info]