A Visual Exploration environment for Analyzing gene Regulation in Developmental processes (VEARD)

Simulated flow pattern around a complex geometry (coral)

Simulated range of growth forms (coral)

Understanding the development of complex-shaped biological structures
in space and time is a major visualization problem. Investigating these
structures requires an interactive visualization environment which can be
used for quantitative research on complex shaped and variable biological
objects and model-based research on these objects. An important characteristic
of model-based studies on biological objects is that the models are usually
characterized by a relatively large number of (usually unknown) parameters.
An important visualization issue here is the exploration of these parameter
spaces, investigation of these parameter spaces can provide crucial information
about the structure of these spaces. In many model-based studies on biological
objects these parameter spaces are investigated using optimization methods to
extract model parameters, frequently this optimization is very expensive, a
visual exploration of parameter spaces may be used here to guide the optimization
process.

In this project we propose to develop visualization techniques for quantitative
research on complex shaped and variable biological and simulated objects and
techniques for the visualization of abstract n-dimensional parameter spaces in
models of gene regulatory networks. The project aims to develop methods and tools
to extract and present geometrical information from spatial measurements and
simulation, to develop visualization methods to compare simulation models and
measured data, and techniques for the navigation of morphometric parameter spaces
(morphospaces) and model parameter spaces. We will focus on a prototypical case
study: gene regulation of development in metazoans with a relatively simple body
plan (sponges and scleractinian corals).

The Research Team