EliseRodriguez

Scientists are continually trying to find cures for cancer, enhanced treatments, and an apparent explanation of the disease. Researchers use a complex criterion when investigating cancer and gene expression is an important aspect. The pattern of gene expression can lead to a better understanding of cancer, more cases of early diagnosis, and an improvement in the way patients receive treatment.

My purpose for using the bioinformatics tools was to identify over-expression of genes in pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and bone marrow cancer, and to determine if there was a pattern of gene expression amongst those particular cancers. The Cancer Genome Anatomy program consisted of a multiple bioinformatics tools, and I used the Serial Analysis of Gene Expression Digital Gene Expression Displayer which uses information from tissue samples that are normal and cancerous. I compared two pools of data: Pool A had data concerning normal tissue of the organ and Pool B had data pertaining to cancerous tissue of the organ.

A total of all the over expressed genes in pancreatic, prostate, lung, mammary gland, bone marrow, and white blood cell cancer was 394 over expressed genes. I did find genes that were over expressed in cancerous tissue versus the normal tissue. I surpassed the expectations I had set because I looked at more cancers then I had planned which gave me a substantial amount of data.