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CUE 2007
Applied Mathematics:
Department Hosts Centennial Celebration Highlighting History of Research, Education

Assistant Professor Manuel Lladser is studying dimensionality reduction algorithms for pattern frequency analysis, with applications to RNA and DNA.

In March 2007, the Department of Applied Mathematics celebrates 100 years at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The celebration includes both retrospective and forward-looking lectures by Leslie Greengard, director, and Peter Lax, professor emeritus, of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University; and distinguished CU engineering alumni Peter Teets (ApMath '63, MS '65), retired president of Lockheed Martin and under secretary of the U.S. Air Force, and Nathan Thompson (ElCompEngr  '83), chief executive officer of Spectra Logic. Teets will speak on the topic, "Applied Mathematics: Gateway to Success."

Research performed today in applied mathematics bears little resemblance to that of 100 years ago. One example is the exciting work being done by Assistant Professor Manuel Lladser, who is working at the interface of discrete mathematics and probability on problems which arise in mathematical biology. One of the most important of these is the ability to detect patterns in random strings—either amino acid sequences in RNA or DNA sequence data. Other applications of his work can be found in textual analysis and computer security.

Detecting when patterns are present, and when they're not, is an important question in genome analysis. Typically, patterns that are statistically over- or underrepresented are thought to have a specific biological function. But the ability to detect these patterns is often quite complicated.

"I am currently focusing my research in dimensionality reduction algorithms for pattern frequency analysis," Lladser says. "Specifically, I am studying minimal pattern problem representations that can simultaneously accommodate the features of complicated patterns and elaborated statistical models of biological sequences.

"In collaboration with Rob Knight's lab, here at CU-Boulder, I plan to apply these techniques to understand how biological functions can arise from random sequences in the lab, using a procedure called SELEX, and in biological evolution. We are currently studying how RNA can bind to specific amino acids, and how micro RNAs, small RNAs that eukaryotic cells use to switch their genes on and off, find their specific targets in the cell."

For more information visit: http://amath.colorado.edu