Mark Gerstein is a renowned American scientist and the Albert L. Williams Professor of Biomedical Informatics at Yale University. His work focuses on the interface of biology, chemistry, and computer science, with a particular emphasis on the analysis and interpretation of large-scale biological data. Gerstein's research has had a significant impact on the fields of bioinformatics, genomics, and systems biology, and he has published numerous papers on these topics.
Background and Education
Mark Gerstein received his undergraduate degree in Physics from Harvard University in 1989. He then moved to Cambridge University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics in 1993. After completing his graduate studies, Gerstein held postdoctoral positions at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, before joining the faculty at Yale University in 1997.
Research Interests
Gerstein’s research group at Yale University is focused on developing and applying computational methods to analyze and interpret large-scale biological data. His research interests include genomics, proteomics, and systems biology, with a particular emphasis on understanding the relationships between protein structure, function, and evolution. Gerstein’s group has developed a number of computational tools and databases, including the SCOP (Structural Classification of Proteins) database and the PhyloFacts database.
| Database | Description |
|---|---|
| SCOP | A comprehensive database of protein structures, classified according to their structural and evolutionary relationships |
| PhyloFacts | A database of phylogenetic trees and alignments for a wide range of organisms and genes |
Selected Publications
Gerstein has published numerous papers on topics related to bioinformatics, genomics, and systems biology. Some of his notable publications include:
- Gerstein, M. (1997). A structural census of genomes: comparing bacterial, eukaryotic, and archael genomes in terms of protein structure. Journal of Molecular Biology, 274(4), 562-576.
- Gerstein, M., & Hegyi, H. (2001). Comparing genomes in terms of protein structure: surveys of a finite parts list. Genome Research, 11(10), 1766-1772.
- Levitt, M., & Gerstein, M. (2002). A unified statistical framework for sequence comparison and structure prediction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99(20), 12115-12120.
Awards and Honors
Gerstein has received a number of awards and honors for his contributions to the field of bioinformatics. These include:
- The Overton Prize from the International Society for Computational Biology (2001)
- The Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Award from the American Society for Microbiology (2003)
- Election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2004)
What is the focus of Mark Gerstein’s research group at Yale University?
+Gerstein’s research group is focused on developing and applying computational methods to analyze and interpret large-scale biological data, with a particular emphasis on understanding the relationships between protein structure, function, and evolution.
What are some of the computational tools and databases developed by Gerstein’s group?
+Some of the computational tools and databases developed by Gerstein’s group include the SCOP (Structural Classification of Proteins) database and the PhyloFacts database.
