Christopher V. Rao
Contact Information:
e-mail:
phone: (217) 244-2247
fax: (217) 333-5052
211 Roger Adams Lab
MC-712, Box C-3
600 S. Mathews Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801
Assistant Professor
B.S., Carnegie Mellon University, 1994
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 2000
Postdoctorate, University of California, Berkeley, 2000-2004
Computational Biology and Cellular Engineering
Complex arrays of interconnected pathways govern the behavior of
many cellular processes, including those used to process environmental
information and coordinate development. In our research, both computational
and experimental approaches are used to discover the system-level
mechanisms regulating intracellular pathways and also to engineer
these pathways for novel medical and industrial applications.
Comparative Genomics
Understanding how similar genes interact to form pathways in diverse organisms is an important step towards a predictive theory for biological networks. The goal is to compare the pathways and mechanisms used to regulate similar processes in divergent species, and then to identify both the molecular and design principles that explain the differences. We are currently comparing the pathways regulating motility and signal transduction in diverse microorganisms using both computer simulation and experimental analysis. Tools are being developed to identify, validate, and interrogate computational models using heterogeneous data sources such as high-throughput experiments and genomic data.
Pathway Engineering
An alternate approach to investigating cellular pathways is to reprogram or engineer novel pathways in cells. One goal is to identify the necessary elements for a functional pathway. A second goal is to design pathways for novel applications such as biosensors and biocomputers. Specific projects include the rational design of receptors and transcription factors, hybrid signal transduction pathways, and intracellular feedback controllers. A common theme is the use of quantitative engineering principles for synthesis and analysis.
Bacterial Pathogenesis
Many pathogens are able to invade their host by targeting only a few specific proteins and molecules in a cell. This process illustrates how a small number of disturbances can propagate through a large networks and then lead to catastrophic failures. It is also an example of two pathways interacting across species. The goal of this research is to understand how pathogenic bacteria, in particular
Salmonella typhimurium, initiate and then coordinate invasion.
Selected Publications
C.V. Rao, J.R. Kirby, A.P. Arkin, "Phosphatase localization in bacterial chemotaxis: divergent mechanisms, convergent principles," Phys. Biol. 2, 148-158 (2005)
C. Rao, J. Kirby and A. Arkin, "Design and diversity in bacterial chemotaxis: A comparative study of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis," PLoS Biology, 2, 239-252 (2004).
C. Rao, J. Rawlings and D. Mayne, "Constrained state estimation for nonlinear discrete-time systems: stability and moving horizon approximations," IEEE TAC, 48, 246-258 (2003)
Rao, C. and A. Arkin, "Stochastic chemical kinetics and the quasi-steady-state assumption: application to the Gillespie algorithm," J. of Chem. Phys., 118, 4999-5010, (2003).
C. Rao, D. Wolf, and A. Arkin, "Control, exploitation and tolerance of intracellular noise," Nature, 420, 231-237, (2002).
C. Rao, and A. Arkin, "Control motifs for intracellular regulatory networks, Annu. Rev. Biomed. Eng., 3, 391-419, (2001).
