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ARHOLIADAU EXAMINATIONS
SEMESTER 1 EXAMINATIONS 2011
IBERS (BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES)
BS34520 FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS
TIME ALLOWED: TWO HOURS
ANSWER THREE QUESTIONS USING DIAGRAMS AS YOU SEE FIT
1) “Epigenetic marks and RNA interference play crucial roles in modulating the
expression of genes”. Explain this statement using appropriate examples, and
describe how the various mechanisms are co-ordinated.
2) Compare and contrast pyrosequencing and Illumina based next generation
sequencing technology (NGS). Give an example of the use of NGS in genomics.
3) Critically consider the advantages and disadvantages of three of the following
proteomic technologies:
Two dimensional Difference Gel Electrophoresis (2D-DiGE)
Isotope Coded Affinity Tagging (ICAT)
Multidimensional Protien Identification Tool (MudPIT)
Isobaric Tags for Relative and Accurate Quantification (iTRAQ)
4) Focusing on one specific type of mass spectrometer instrument, explain in broad terms
operation of the ion source and analyser. Outline the format of typical data generated
by this instrument in metabolomics experiments.
5) Explain how the use of markers and comparative genomics lead to the isolation of the
staygreen gene in Arabidopsis.
6) Examine the following figure showing a Boolean description of the regulation of some
key genes involved in plant defence against pathogens by some key hormones
(boxed). For each gene discuss how they are regulated based on your understanding
of Boolean gates.
