Computational Biology of Aging Group
brand new lab, awesome international team, cool tools and models
Research
Background
Aging is a biological process defined by a progressive loss of viability and an exponential increase in fragility and vulnerability. Age is also the main risk factor for many diseases, including most types of cancers, heart and vascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, etc. This is not surprising, as at the molecular level, age-related diseases share many genetic components and molecular pathways with the “normal” aging process.
Understanding the aging process, and the mechanisms underlining it, is one of the major biological and biomedical challenges of our century and could result in much higher dividends to society in our capacity to extend lifespan and more importantly healthspan (i.e. the interval of healthy, productive years in a person’s life).
With the current advances in high-throughput technologies many of the genetic and molecular aspects of aging can now be easily screened at various “omics” levels, using a wide range of models and starting from various hypotheses. While all the existing datasets are extremely valuable by themselves, they pose an incomparably higher potential if analyzed together. In terms of data integration however, more efforts are required to achieve a cohesive approach and an integrative view on how these molecular measurements are all interconnected and manifest as aging and/or age-related diseases. Such a multi-model integration, combined with systems biology approaches will be of paramount importance in the coming years and will maximize the amount of knowledge that we can gather from gerontological observational studies.
Our Aim
Our aim is to 1) integrate and analyze large-scale datasets from different biological levels, like genomics, transcriptomics, or epigenomics, and 2) to use frontier systems biology approaches, network biology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, to create mathematical and computational models of aging.
Using these data, models and algorithms, we aim to predict novel genetic and epigenetic interventions that would have the highest potential to impact lifespan in model organisms.
Projects
Our projects include both computational aspects (data aggregation and processing, multidimensional data analysis, network-based methods, systems theory approaches, deep learning, etc.) as well as wet-lab experiments (in particular in-vivo testing of the computationally predicted interventions), with a highly multi-disciplinary team.
If you would like to learn more about our projects or any available jobs/internships in our group, just drop us a line.
For the moment, our group is tot recruiting!
If you love big data, tough biological questions
and/or complex systems come talk to us!
We will soon have the following vacancies:
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1 x Biostatistician in aging research [job description - TBA]
= Will be advertised on: EURAXESS, ANCS jobs; deadline: N/A
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!!! Update: information about past recruiting processes (requirements, dates & schedule).
!!! Download application request (romanian / english).
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If you think none of the jobs above is for you, but you are highly motivated, interested in our field of research, and keen to put your skills to the test, please contact us.
It is often possible to apply for national and international academic fellowships, or to apply for various types of collaborative grants. We are always glad to support you with such application processes (note that these applications might require a significant amount of time between the application date and the start of the project - so please plan in advance).
Research projects for undergraduates (diploma), master students (MSc theses) or other volunteers looking for academic internships are also available and such requests are always welcome.
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Past job openings (closed now, applicants selected):
1 x Computer scientist/Bioinformatician in data mining/machine learning [job description]
= advertised on: EURAXESS, ANCS jobs; deadline: November 14, 2016
1 x Bioinformatician for analysis of large-scale dataset analyses [job description]
= advertised on: EURAXESS, ANCS jobs; deadline: October 26, 2016
2 x Bioinformatician/computer scientist in aging research [job description]
= advertised on: EURAXESS, ANCS jobs; deadline: October 26, 2016
1 x Database and web programmer [job description]
= advertised on: EURAXESS, ANCS jobs; deadline: October 21, 2016
1 x Part-time front-end developer [job description]
= advertised on: EURAXESS, ANCS jobs; deadline: October 21, 2016
1 x Part-time research assistant in aging research (knowledge curation) [job description]
= advertised on: EURAXESS; deadline: October 21, 2016
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Lab/Bio
The Computational Biology of Aging Group
The Computational Biology of Aging Group was founded by Dr. Robi Tacutu in 2016, and is mainly funded by a recently awarded EUR 2 million EU grant, for the project Multi-omics Prediction System for Prioritization of Gerontological Interventions.
Dr. Tacutu has a multidisciplinary background in computer science (BSc from University Politehnica Bucharest) and in molecular biology (MSc from University of Bucharest), and a long-term commitment and experience (10+ years) in the field of biogerontology. He received his PhD from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (in the lab of Prof. Vadim Fraifeld), studying relationships between aging and age-related diseases with the use of bioinformatics and network biology approaches, and developing computational methods to predict novel genetic determinants of longevity.
After his PhD, Dr. Tacutu continued his research as a postdoc at the University of Liverpool (in the Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, led by Dr. Joao Pedro de Magalhaes). Here, he had a role in developing and curating the Human Ageing Genomic Resources collection of databases relevant to ageing research, and was later awarded a EU FP7 Marie Curie fellowship for developing and interrogating an integrated model of ageing to identify causal relationships between hormonal changes and gene expression changes.
Currently, Dr. Tacutu's research focuses on using computational methods in conjunction with large screening datasets to understand the genetic, cellular, and molecular mechanisms behind ageing, longevity and age-related diseases.
Selected publications:
- de Magalhães, Tacutu. Book chapter: Integrative Genomics of Aging, in Handbook of the Biology of Aging. 2016
- Toren, Barzilay, Tacutu et al., MitoAge: a database for comparative analysis of mitochondrial DNA, with a special focus on animal longevity. Nucleic Acids Res, 2016
- Craig, Smelick, Tacutu et al., The Digital Ageing Atlas: integrating the diversity of age-related changes into a unified resource. Nucleic Acids Res, 2015
- Tacutu, Craig, Budovsky et al., Human Ageing Genomic Resources: integrated databases and tools for the biology and genetics of ageing. Nucleic Acids Res, 2013
- Tacutu, Shore, Budovsky et al., Prediction of C. elegans longevity genes by human and worm longevity networks. PLoS One, 2012
- Tacutu, Budovsky, Yanai et al., Molecular links between cellular senescence, longevity and age-related diseases - a systems biology perspective. Aging (Albany NY), 2011
- Tacutu, Budovsky, Wolfson et al., MicroRNA-regulated protein-protein interaction networks: how could they help in searching for pro-longevity targets? Rejuvenation Res, 2010
- Tacutu, Budovsky, Fraifeld, The NetAge database: a compendium of networks for longevity, age-related diseases and associated processes. Biogerontology, 2010
For a full list of publications, please go to: tacutu@pubmed
Contact Us
For any formal or informal inquiries prospective students and postdocs are encouraged to contact us.
Events
Aging research-related events at the Institute of Biochemistry
Seminar on ageing research and advocacy Saturday, May 6, 2017, 1:00 PM
On Saturday, 6th of May, the Computational Biology of Aging Group together with our guests from Healthy Life Extension Society (http://heales.org) organizes a seminar on longevity research and advocacy in Bucharest.
BRIEF SCHEDULE:
- 13:00 - 13:15 Opening speech – Robi Tacutu, Ph.D., head of Computational Biology of Aging Group. (download)
- 13:15 - 13:35 Presentation about Heales and its main activities – Didier Coeurnelle, Sven Bulterijs ( co-founders of Heales ). (download)
- 13:35-14:05 – Does everyone age? The design of negligibly senescent species and the environments in which they evolved - Anca Iovita, geriatrics physician/book author (download)
- 14:05-14:35 - Main scientific news about the longevity of the last months - Sven Bulterijs, chief scientific officer of Heals. (download)
- 14:35-14:45 Coffee-break
- 14:45-15:20 Genetic Circuits with CRISPR Interference as promising tools for anti-aging therapies – Anton Kulaga, bioinformatician at Computational Biology of Aging Group. (download)
- 15:20-15:50 How to make longevity mainstream or die trying? - Didier Coeurnelle, co-president of Heales. (download)
LOCATION: Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Splaiul Independentei 296, Bucharest
Conference hall (2nd floor), see map.
Gerontomics
SISTEM DE PREDICTIE BAZAT PE INTEGRARE MULTI-OMICS PENTRU PRIORITIZAREA INTERVENTIILOR GERONTOLOGICE
Detalii proiect
Institutul de Biochimie Bucureşti, Academia Română, derulează, începând cu data de 02.09.2016, proiectul “Sistem de predictive bazat pe integrare multi-omics pentru prioritizarea interventiilor gerontologice”, co-finanţat prin Fondul European de Dezvoltare Regională, în baza contractului de finanţare semnat cu Ministerul Educaţiei Naţionale şi Cercetării Ştiinţifice.
Valoarea totală a proiectului este de 8.524.757,50 lei, din care asistenţa finaciară nerambursabilă este de 8.502.557,50 lei. Durata proiectului este de 48 de luni.
Obiectivul general strategic propus prin proiect, este în conformitate cu obiectivele şi priorităţile Programului Operaţional Competitivitate 2014-2020 – Axa Prioritară 1 – Cercetare, Dezvoltare Tehnologică şi Inovare (CDI) în sprijinul Competitivităţii Economice şi Dezvoltării Afacerilor – Acțiunea 1.1.4 Atragerea de personal cu competențe avansate din străinătate pentru consolidarea capacității de CD.
Descrierea proiectului:
Imbatranirea populatiei (i.e., cresterea duratei medii de viata) este una dintre problemele biomedicale majore atat nationale cat si internationale ale secolului. Prin integrarea modelelor multiple de imbatranire (furnizate de specii diferite si modele experimentale variate) care capteaza intr-un mod holistic profilele diferentiale dintre starile „normale” si „dezechilibrate” ale sistemului biologic, proiectul isi propune analiza cu o acuratete semnificativ imbunatatita a mecanismelor de imbatranire, comparativ cu modelele actuale. O astfel de abordare este promitatoare pentru a intelege multiple aspecte ale imbatranirii si pentru a reduce zgomotul statistic intrinsec oricarui screening individual.
Din punct de vedere tehnologic, metodele folosite in acest proiect (modele de integrare multi-model, analiza datelor de scara larga, metode de analiza a retelelor biologice) sunt foarte moderne si reprezinta „state-of-the-art” in domeniu. Proiectul are o natura intensiv computationala si va rezulta in elaborarea de noi algoritmi, metrici statistice si aplicarea de metode de inteligenta artificiala si invatare automata pentru rezolvarea problemelor din biologie. Prin analiza sistemica a datelor de genomica, transcriptomica, epigenetica si studii GWAS de la om si organisme model proiectul are ca scop aplicativ perfectionarea intelegerii noastre despre biologia imbatranirii, avand ca rezultat final crearea unei platforme integrative de predictie multi-omica pentru prioritizarea interventiilor experimentale in gerontologie.
Tintind in principal organizatiile de cercetare, dar si companiile din domeniul farmaceutic cu componenta de cercetare in domeniul biologiei imbatranirii, ne asteptam ca produsul final al acestui proiect sa reduca costurile, sa impulsioneze cercetarea si sa canalizeze studiile experimentale in gerontologie, ajutand la eficientizarea companiilor din aceste domenii prin reducerea costurilor financiare si de timp pentru validari experimentale (in vitro sau pe modele animal).
Per ansamblu, proiectul va aduce contributii directe in aprofundarea cunostiintelor fundamentale ale biologiei imbatranirii. In acest sens, atat reducerea costurilor din cercetarea imbatranirii cat si dobandirea de informatii biologice noi despre imbatranire sunt arii cu o relevanta crescuta pentru „Imbatranirea sanatoasa, stil de viata si sanatate publica”, una din ariile prioritare in sanatate. In particular, studiind procesul imbatranirii vom contribui la dezvoltarea terapiilor preventive care au ca tinta extinderea duratei de viata si mai ales de viata sanatoasa a oamenilor (healthspan - definita ca perioada de timp activa, sanatoasa si productiva din viata unei persoane). Ambele obiective au potentialul de a avea un impact urias pentru calitatea vietii in societate, in mod particular pentru segmentul de populatie varstnica.
Pentru informaţii detaliate despre celelalte programe cofinanţate de Uniunea Europeană, vă invităm să vizitaţi www.fonduri-ue.ro
Conţinutul acestui material nu reprezintă în mod obligatoriu poziţia oficială a Uniunii Europene sau a Guvernului României