Abstract
Cancer genomes accumulate many somatic mutations resulting from imperfection of DNA processing during normal cell cycle as well as from carcinogenic exposures or cancer related aberrations of DNA maintenance machinery. These processes often lead to distinctive patterns of mutations, called mutational signatures. Considering these signatures as quantitative traits, we can leverage them for studies of the interactions between mutagenic processes, other cellular processes, and environment. Untangling these interactions is critical for understanding the processes underlying mutational signatures and their impact on the organism. I will discuss several computational approaches including a method for the deconvolution of the contributions of DNA damage and repair to the mutational landscape of cancer.