Igor Goryanin is a systems biologist, who holds a Henrik Kacser Chair in Computational Systems Biology at the University of Edinburgh, and leads the Computational Systems Biology and Bioinformatics group, School of Informatics. He heads the Biological Systems Unit at Okinawa Institute Science and Technology, Japan.
Biography
Goryanin graduated in 1985 as an applied mathematician from the Computer Science Department,Moscow Engineering Physical Institute, where he was developing numerical methods and algorithms for analysis of stiff differential equations. Goryanin spent more than twelve years working in the Institute of Biophysics, Russian Academy of Science and obtained his PhD in 1995 at the same Institute. During this time he developed DBSolve, a software for mathematical stimulation and analysis of the cellular metabolism and regulation. From 1989 to 1995 he was also CEO and co-founder of Biobank Inc., Russia. In 1995–1997 Goryanin worked as a Visiting Computer Scientist at the Mathematics & Computer Science Division, Argonne National Laboratories. He joined GlaxoSmithKline in 1997. Igor was working on application of modelling and informatics techniques to the pharmaceutical research and development and drugs manufacturing industry. The whole cell modelling of organisms approach developed by Igor has been successfully used to improve drug R&D and manufacturing process in production plants. i.e. designing anti-microbial assays and anti-microbial drug targets identification, rational organism design, rational biomarker design and target prioritisation, reconstructing cellular networks for cancers, metabolic and lipid disorders. In 2005 Goryanin moved to Edinburgh to take the position of a Henrik Kacser Chair in Computational Systems Biology. In 2006 Goryanin developed one of the first Masters courses in Computational Systems Biology in the UK, currently taught at the University of Edinburgh. He co-founded the Centre for Systems Biology at Edinburgh, where he was a co-director, and Edinburgh Centre for Bioinformatics, where he was a director.
Research interests and projects
Systems biology: Reconstruction, modelling and analysis of biological networks based on functional genomics data and literature.
Systems Biology Informatics Infrastructure development
Life science Informatics: Data mining and data integration of biological and pharmaceutical-related databases.
Software and algorithms for modelling and stimulation, visualisation and optimisation of complex systems
Bioenergy and bioremediation research: Optimisation of microbial devices, which uses the ability of some micro-organisms and enzymes to convert organic matter into electricity directly.
Systems Oncology: Application of modelling and analysis of pathways in human tissues to predict response to anti-cancer treatment and to develop personalised therapies, distance learning and diagnostics in cancer. .
Collaborations
Igor is co-founder of the International E. coli alliance. Goryanin and his group are currently involved in several high profile international collaborations:
SBML – The Systems Biology Markup Language is a computer-readable format for representing models of biochemical reaction networks. SBML is applicable to metabolic networks, cell-signalling pathways, regulatory networks, and many others.
, Network of Excellence established by the European Commission under its 6th Framework Programme. The main objective of the Network is to demonstrate how the use of modern simulation techniques can lead to a more rational drug development process, improved treatment procedures, and a reduction in the need for animal experiments.
project, funded under FP6, uses systems biology approaches to model pre-messenger RNA and pre-ribosomal RNA metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and so aid the understanding of these complex cellular pathways.
, the project funded under FP6 aims to develop an integrated model of the stress response system of E. coli, including key metabolic, genetic and signalling modules.
– The Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Networks Consortium is an organisation to facilitate and co-ordinate international efforts for the continued understanding of RTK signalling pathways and its relationship to human pathologies.
– collaboration in breast cancer and large scale sequencing
– standards development in Systems Biology research.
– kinetic modelling for complex biological systems.
Publications
Books and book chapters
Goryanin I and Demin O Kinetic Modelling in Systems Biology Chapman & Hall/CRC, 2008
Modelling and Simulations of biological pathways: pharmaceutical applications, Editors Martyn Ford, David Livingstone, John Dearden, Ha Van de Waterbbemd, Blackwell Publishing, 2003.
Applications of whole cell and large pathway mathematical models in the pharmaceutical industry Metabolic Engineering in the Post-Genomic Era, Editors
B. Kholodenko and H. Westerhoff, Horizon Bioscience, UK, 2003.
