This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009. The fellowship supports a research and training plan entitled "Cross talk within the macrophage-signaling network enhances its pathogen detection capabilities" for Roy Wollman. The host institution for this research is Stanford University, and the sponsoring scientist is Tobias Meyer.
The immune system's role is to identify harmful pathogens and fight diseases. To do so, it uses specialized cell types called white blood cells, also known as macrophages. Macrophages detect invasion by pathogens and identify the class of pathogens that invades the body (e.g., fungi, bacteria, etc.). This research focuses on understanding information processing within macrophages, which allows them to reliably distinguish between different classes of pathogens. It utilizes robotic microscopy, computer vision, and machine learning tools to collect systematic data on macrophages' response to different pathogen-derived molecules. This resulting data is being used to develop a mathematical model describing the information processing encoded by the biochemical reactions inside a cell. This model provides a better understanding of how macrophages identify pathogens.
Training goals include computational training in the analysis of large sets of image data using computer vision algorithms, machine learning tools for reverse engineering of models from experimental data, and control theory for optimal experimental design. This interdisciplinary project emphasizes the integration of computational and experimental approaches. Educational impacts include training for undergraduate students and the dissemination of the results by publication this work in the scientific literature. A better understanding of the classification capabilities of macrophages is essential for long-term progress in the development of new treatments for infectious diseases. In addition, understanding information processing and classification at the molecular level has important basic science implications.
