Computational classification of small RNAs and their targets

Abstract

Small RNAs, and in particular microRNAs, are currently receiving a great deal of attention due to their important roles in gene regulation and organism development. Recently, new high-throughput technologies have made it possible to sequence hundreds of thousands of small RNAs from a single experimental sample. In this thesis we develop new computational tools to process such high-throughput small RNA datasets in order to identify microRNAs and other biologically interesting small RNA candidates and to predict their target genes. We apply these tools to a variety of plant and animal datasets and present some novel discoveries including miRNAs involved in fruit development in tomato (Solanum lycopersicon).EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo