Project Proposal: Predicting Gene Regulation from Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Data

Introduction
Every cell in an organism contains the same DNA, but different cells perform different functions. This happens because specific genes are turned on or off by special proteins called transcription factors (TFs). These proteins help determine whether a cell becomes a muscle cell, a neuron, or any other type of cell. If TFs do not work correctly, it can lead to developmental disorders and diseases. Understanding how TFs regulate gene expression is crucial for studying how cells develop and function.

Project Goal This project aims to develop a computational tool that predicts how transcription factors regulate gene expression—whether they activate, repress, or work in combination—in different cell types using data from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). This type of data consists of a data frame that contains gene expression across individual cells. Our tool will analyze these patterns using models that account for different modes of TF activity, providing insights into cell development and disease processes