The Mathematical and Statistical Computing Laboratory (MSCL) performs research and provides expert advice in the quantitative sciences to NIH researchers. Research is performed mainly in collaboration with scientists from other institutes at NIH. Presently, several disciplines are represented in which MSCL members have significant research capabilities.

1. Numerical analysis of data from biochemical experiments and development of theoretical models and algorithms for the interpretation of such data.
   
   
2. Statistically and mathematically oriented research that arises from biomedical research projects. Currently, these projects include prediction of structure and function of proteins from the amino acid sequence and related topics; statistical analysis of the MR based diffusion tensor images and 3D PET images; and the development of kinetic models for the behavior of bioenergetic proteins.
   
   
3. The development of analytic tools for image representation and reconstruction, with applications of these to data. These tools include optimized data compression, presently exemplified by wavelet transforms.
   
   
4. The application of theoretical physics and, in particular, statistical mechanics to problems of interest at NIH. Current applications include the development of models of protein folding, the development and testing of models for the electrophoretic process, and the use of random walk and diffusion theory in problems arising from optical imaging.