Publication Date

Spring 2021

Degree Type

Master's Project

Degree Name

Master of Science in Bioinformatics (MSBI)

Department

Computer Science

First Advisor

Wendy Lee

Keywords

Bisphenol A (BPA), neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC), transcriptional profiling, RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq)

Abstract

The ubiquitous environmental chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is an emerging risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). BPA is an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that is thought to interfere with neuron development by changing neuronal gene expression. Impacting neurodevelopment in this manner can cause lasting changes in behavior and potentially lead to the development of NDDs. Delineating the molecular processes that incur changes in gene expression following BPA exposure will advance our understanding of how BPA impacts neurodevelopmental pathways and affects the pathophysiology of NDDs. An RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis pipeline was created for transcriptional profiling of neurological development in wild-type Drosophila melanogaster following BPA exposure. The analysis pipeline identified differentially expressed genes and the affected molecular pathways. The results indicated changes gene expression in neurodevelopmentally-related pathways in the wildtype background.

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