Ian Carr

Senior Research Fellow

Genescreen window identifying nucleotide substitutions

After training as a molecular biologist, and working within teams in Leeds that identified genes causing cleft palate and microcephaly, I gradually became aware of the need for “better” (meaning simpler) computer programmes to address the practical needs of the molecular biologist.

I have become proficient in the Java and VB6 programming languages, in order to create bespoke applications that automate “trivial” but time consuming data analysis tasks.

With the release of the .NET languages, I have decided to concentrate on this platform, in order to allow very rapid application development. I am a Microsoft Certificated Solutions Developer. This has allowed me to generate very quick solutions to key bottlenecks in day-to-day data analysis (e.g. both sequence and genotyping data) and clinical data collection using both standalone and web based applications.

Software for autozygosity mapping projects

I have developed two independent non-parametric approaches to interactive analysis of SNP data for autozygosity mapping: AutoSNPa and IBDfinder. These methods focus on allowing the investigator to visualize genetic data in a flexible and intuitive fashion, and when necessary without reliance on uncertain or unknown intra- and inter-family relationships.

I have also developed new programmes GeneScreen and Illuminator, for the mutation detection phase of gene discovery, both using conventional Sanger sequencing and high-throughput clonal methods. These remain under active development.

Links to all these and other packages are here and here.