Copy Number Variations

Here is a project I did on Copy Number Variations(CNVs) for my Computational Genetics class.  It's a basic overview on what CNVs are and some simple methods on how one would find them within a genome.  Please enjoy the video below!

CNVs are copies of a particular region of DNA that show up multiple times in an individual's genome.  Everyone has CNVs!  They are what contribute to genetic uniqueness from person to person. Until very recently, they were thought to be benign, and a significant portion of them are.  But scientists have been able to link specific CNVs to a number of different traits, such as resistance to a certain drug or susceptibility to a specific disease.  Think mutants from Marvel's X-Men comics, but without the crazy powers.  It is easy to see why it is so important to continue to research the effects of the various CNVs we have found.

Here is a link to the updated presentation you saw above.

For more information on CNVs, check out the following:

• Wikipedia article on CNVs
• Example of how certain CNVs can affect people
• Link to the chromosome I used in my project
• Biostar! - Comparative genomic tools for Python and Perl