Coordinator Prof. Dr. Roland Eils

Cancer arises when genes in a cell are changed in such a way that they cause the cell to divide uncontrolled. For this to happen, however, a multitude of specific changes have to coincide. It is the task of this Research Program to analyze the genome, i.e., the complete set of genes, in order to lay the foundation for developing new diagnostic and treatment methods. This involves mapping the genome, localizing genes within the genetic material, and investigating the functions of cancer-relevant genomic areas. The vast amounts of data accumulated in the process are being captured and evaluated using bioinformatic methods. By combining approaches from mathematics, statistics, physics, and computer sciences with computer-assisted simulation techniques, the theoretical groups of the Research Program are bridging the gap to experimental research. The methods developed within the Research Program are being directly utilized in many areas within collaborations with numerous divisions of the Center: in molecular and genomic investigations of the structure of the genetic material, cancer documentation, medical imaging, and biostatistical evaluations of experimental and clinical data.