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Building and Simulating a Computational Model of HIV Infection in CD4+ T-Cells
Advisor Information
Tomas Helikar
Location
UNO Criss Library, Room 232
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
7-3-2014 9:45 AM
End Date
7-3-2014 10:00 AM
Abstract
Intracellular pathways are the protein to protein interactions within cells that control almost all functions that occur. Although at first glance, these pathways may sound simple, they have interconnections and complexities akin to a massive highway system. It seems simple when you are just following one highway, but each path is subtly effected by every other intersection and road in the system, but these effects can be really hard to predict before they happen. This is much like the web of signals that make up a cell and are extremely difficult to understand without aid. The online simulation platform “The Cell Collective” allows the user to enter each individual protein into a model and then insert the interactions that occur between these proteins. After a model is built, the effects of eliminating certain signals can be tested and their effects on the entire system can be observed. In my project, I took a model of a CD4+ T-Cell and added the pathways that are involved in an HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection of the cell by reviewing available papers to find each step in the complex infection. After the model was completed, I tested overall effects of certain changes to the pathway that had been confirmed in laboratory studies in my model to verify that it functions as a live cell actually does.
Building and Simulating a Computational Model of HIV Infection in CD4+ T-Cells
UNO Criss Library, Room 232
Intracellular pathways are the protein to protein interactions within cells that control almost all functions that occur. Although at first glance, these pathways may sound simple, they have interconnections and complexities akin to a massive highway system. It seems simple when you are just following one highway, but each path is subtly effected by every other intersection and road in the system, but these effects can be really hard to predict before they happen. This is much like the web of signals that make up a cell and are extremely difficult to understand without aid. The online simulation platform “The Cell Collective” allows the user to enter each individual protein into a model and then insert the interactions that occur between these proteins. After a model is built, the effects of eliminating certain signals can be tested and their effects on the entire system can be observed. In my project, I took a model of a CD4+ T-Cell and added the pathways that are involved in an HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection of the cell by reviewing available papers to find each step in the complex infection. After the model was completed, I tested overall effects of certain changes to the pathway that had been confirmed in laboratory studies in my model to verify that it functions as a live cell actually does.