Development and implementation of algorithms for simulating molecular phenotypic information

• Grant number: 06/01199-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2006
• End date: August 10, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo da Fonseca
• Grantee: Michele Porto Pires
• Host Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental de Dracena. Dracena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In animal breeding, simulators have been used to diminish the experiments maintenance costs and to speed up the results, which otherwise, would be attained after some year of work. For instance, in a beef cattle selection program during five generations, the last results would be obtained around fifteen years, however, they could be simulated in less than one hour. More recently, with the appearance of biotechnology, the markers and identified genes information associated with economic traits become available. Thus, a phenotypic and molecular data simulator would be useful, since researchers could generate several scenarios with any combination of information type. Besides, some situations could be tested for genetic evaluation, decisions in animal breeding programs could be your risk minimized and examples to illustrate theories in scientific papers or classes could be easily generated. In order to implement the developed algorithms, machines with Linux operating system will be employed. The programming language used will be C++, which will be "translated" by g++ compiler. Three modules integrating the simulator will be worked in this proposal: Genome generator, molecular information generator and population generator. All the developed algorithms and their coding (source-files) will be available for free to the scientific community. (AU)