Phenotypes and Genotypes The Search for Influential Genes

This timely text presents a comprehensive guide to genetic association, a new and rapidly expanding field that aims to elucidate how our genetic code (genotypes) influences the traits we possess (phenotypes). The book provides a detailed review of methods of gene mapping used in association with experimental crosses, as well as genome-wide association studies. Emphasis is placed on model selection procedures for analyzing data from large-scale genome scans based on specifically designed modifications of the Bayesian information criterion. Features: presents a thorough introduction to the theoretical background to studies of genetic association (both genetic and statistical); reviews the latest advances in the field; illustrates the properties of methods for mapping quantitative trait loci using computer simulations and the analysis of real data; discusses open challenges; includes an extensive statistical appendix as a reference for those who are not totally familiar with the fundamentals of statistics.

Introduction.- A Primer in Genetics.- Statistical Methods in High Dimensions.- Statistical Methods of QTL Mapping for Experimental Populations.- Statistical Analysis of GWAS.- Appendix A: Basic Statistical Distributions.- Appendix B: Basic Methods of Estimation.- Appendix C: Principles of Statistical Testing.- Appendix D: Elements of Bayesian Statistics.- Appendix E: Other Statistical Methods.

Dr. Florian Frommlet is a researcher in the Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria.

Dr. Malgorzata Bogdan is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Mathematics at Wroclaw University, Poland.

Dr. David Ramsey is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Operations Research at Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland.