Liang, Ping - Brock University - Department of Biological Sciences

研究领域

My lab is interested in studying the mechanisms of inter- and intra-species genetic diversity and their contribution to the diversity of biological traits, using an integrated approach combining the use of computational and experimental comparative and functional genomics technologies. Genetic variation underlies the vivid diversity of our own human species and of all other organisms on Earth. Understanding the mechanisms of genetic diversity and how they lead to phenotype variations continues to be an intriguing and fundamental question in life science research, and it has invaluable implications in medicine and agriculture. The advent of high throughput genome sequencing and functional genomics technologies and the availability of genome sequences for an ever increasing number of species have brought in a golden age for genetics research. By means of computational and experimental comparative genomics approaches, a comprehensive survey of inter- and intra-species genetic diversity now becomes possible, and their functional impacts can be assessed using functional genomics methodologies. Among the many types of genetic polymorphisms, we are currently focusing on a class of genetic components called transposable elements, which exist very abundantly and evolve actively in the genomes of most organisms, including humans. Our past work includes the development of several computational comparative genomics methodologies for the identification of retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms and retrotransposon-derived genome rearrangements, as well as the development of the database of Retrotransposon Insertion Polymorphisms in humans (dbRIP). In our current research, we are utilizing newly available individual human genome sequences generated by the next-generation sequencing technologies, such as 454 and Illumina, for more comprehensive surveys and documentation of genetic diversity derived from transposable elements. We are also extending our attention to the mechanism and identification of other types of structural variations, such as copy number variations. We will then start to examine the impact of these genetic variations on gene function and phenotype, including human disease susceptibility and tasting variation. In addition to those above research activities, we also collaborate with a large number of investigators within and outside Brock campus by providing our bioinformatics expertise. Outside the biology-oriented research, we are also interested in developing novel bioinformatics and genomics analytic tools. My research lab provides an ideal environment for students who have interest in the exciting emerging field of genomics and bioinformatics, which advance essentially on a daily-basis. Within this group, students have the opportunity to learn and apply computational skills, as well as advanced genomics and molecular techniques. I am looking for highly motivated and hard working graduate students either from a biological field with a certain level of computer programming skills or from a computer science background with a minor degree in biology. (Note: Students with interests only for bench research and those with no prior trainings or skills in computer programming will not be considered.)

近期论文

查看导师新发文章（温馨提示：请注意重名现象，建议点开原文通过作者单位确认）

Callinan PA*, Wang J*, Herke SW*, Garber RK, Liang P, Batzer MA. Alu retrotransposition-mediated deletion. J Mol Biol 348:791-800, 2005. (*co-first authors). PubMed Abstract, PDF, Supplemental Materials. Wang J*, Song L*, Gonder MK, Azrak S, Ray DA, Batzer MA, Tishkoff SA, Liang P. Whole genome computational comparative genomics: a fruitful approach for ascertaining Alu insertion polymorphisms. Gene 365:11-20, 2006. PubMed Abstract, , PDF, Supplemental Data (*co-first authors) Han K*, Sen SK*, Wang J*, Callinan PA, Lee J, Cordaux R, Liang P, Batzer MA. Genomic rearrangements by LINE-1 insertion-mediated deletion in the human and chimpanzee lineages. Nucleic Acids Res 33:4040-4052, 2005. (*co-first authors) PubMed Abstract; Supplemental Data1; Supplemental Data2 Charbonnier F, Baert-Desurmont S, Liang P, Di Fiore F, Martin C, Frerot S, Olschwang S, Wang Q, Buisine MP, Gilbert B, Nilbert M, Lindblom A, Frebourg T. The 5' region of the MSH2 gene involved in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer contains a high density of recombinogenic sequences. Hum Mutat 26:255-261, 2005. PubMed Abstract, PDF Wang, J.*, L. Song*, D. Grover*, S. Azrak, M. A. Batzer, Liang P. dbRIP: A Highly Integrated Database of Retrotransposon Insertion Polymorphism in Human. Human Mutat 27:323-329,2006. PubMed Abstract; PDF (*co-first authors). Li L, McVety S, Younan R, Liang P, DuSart D, Gordon P, Hutter P, Hogervorst FB, Chong G, and Foulkes WD. Distinct patterns of Germ-Line Deletions in MLH1 and MSH2 in hereditary non-polyposiscolorectal cancer families: the role of Alu sequences. Human Mutat 27:388, 2006. PubMed Abstract Sen SK*, Han K, Wang J, Lee J, Wang H, Callinan PA, Dyer M, Cordaux R, Liang P, Batzer MA.Human genomic deletions mediated by recombination between Alu elements. Am J Hum Genet 79:41-53, 2006. PubMed Abstract , PDF Lee, J, Cordaux R, Han K, Wang J, Hedges DJ, Batzer MA*, Liang P*. Different evolutionary fates of recently integrated human and chimpanzee LI NE-1 retrotransposons. Gene 390:18-27, 2007. PubMed Abstract. (*co-senior authors) Konkel M*, Wang J*, Liang P, Batzer MA. Identification and characterization of novel polymorphic LINE-1 insertions through comparison of two Human genome sequence assemblies. Gene 390:28-38, 2007. PubMed Abstract (*co-first authors) Han K, Lee J, Meyer TJ, Wang J, Sen SK, Srikanta D, Liang P, Batzer MA. Chimpanzee-specific structural variation deriv ed from Alu recombination-mediated deletions. PLOS Genetics 3:1939-1949, 2007. Open Access at PLOS Genetics. Liang P and Wang T. Database documentation of retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms. In “Mobile DNAs in Mammalian Genomes” in Encyclopedia of Bioscience, Frontiers in Bioscience E4,1542-1555, 2012. Luo X, Dehne F, Liang P. Identification of Transposon Insertion Polymorphisms (TIPs) by computational comparative analysis of next generation personal genome data. AIP Proceedings of the AMMCS-2011 Conference. (Accepted on September 27, 2011. Amed M, Liang P. Transposable elements are a significant contributor to tandem repeats in the human genome. Comp Funct Genomics 2012, Article 947089, 2012. Ahmed M, Li W, Liang P. Identification of three new Alu Yb subfamilies by source tracking of recently integrated Alu Yb elements. Mobile DNA 4:25, 2013. Ahmed M, Liang P. Study of modern human evolution via comparative analysis with the Neanderthal genome. Genomics Inform. 11:230-238, 2013. Tang W, Mun S, Joshi A, Han K, Liang P. Contribution of mobile elements to the uniqueness of human genome with more than 15,000 human-specific insertions. (Available as preprint at BioRxiv since Nov 2016; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/083295).