U of M researchers have developed a genomics method that can possibly reveal the genetic mechanisms affecting human health and disease. The latest publication in the journal Genome Biology presents a new approach to studying the root causes of diseases such as cancer and dementia, with the goal of enabling early detection.
Dr. Athanasios Zovoilis, an associate professor of biochemistry and medical genetics in the Max Rady college of medicine told UM Today that “[his] lab applies what we call next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics to magnify the impact of recent advances in AI algorithms. We collaborate with researchers across the country to position Canada at the forefront of this important new field of study.”
Zovoilis also leads a bioinformatics research program at the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute at CancerCare Manitoba.
Researchers use next-generation sequencing daily to find clues in the non-coding segments of DNA, previously called “junk DNA.” These segments reveal information about disease presence. The Zovoilis team aims to transform lab equipment, originally built to read messenger ribonucleic acid — the coded parts of genetic material — to analyze the non-coding portion, known as non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs).
Zovoilis revealed to UM Today that “the right equipment for this new field of study has been in our lab for some time, but we lacked the tools to use it to its fullest potential, until now.
“The impact of employing AI and novel genomics approaches is that researchers across the world can now leverage next-generation sequencing in the new field of epitranscriptomics, exploring the genetic interactions of non-coding RNAs.”
Over the past two decades, researchers have used precise tools to examine non-coding RNAs and identified about three per cent of coded sequences.
Through the Canadian Epitranscriptomics Project, Zovoilis applies this technology to build the “Epitranscriptome Atlas” to cover the remaining 97 per cent of the genome and understand how changes in non-coding RNAs contribute to disease.
Zovoilis mentioned to UM Today that “if we imagine the human genome as an atlas of the earth, with each gene represented by one satellite image, we have so far revealed fewer than 36,000 of the necessary 1.2 million images to complete our atlas.
“The mapped RNA sequences represent specific human tissues, and we are now able to begin filling in large sections of our atlas to pinpoint the genomic locations of diseases and other important biological functions for the first time.”
