Biology News Net - Bioinformatics

New cost-effective means to reconstruct virus populations

Fri, 09 May 2008 17:35:43 -0500

Researchers from the United States and Switzerland have developed mathematical and statistical tools for reconstructing viral populations using pyrosequencing, a novel and effective technique for sequencing DNA. They describe their findings in an article published May 9th in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology.

Platypus genome unravels mysteries of mammalian evolution

Wed, 07 May 2008 14:19:44 -0500

Genome Research is publishing several papers related to analyses of the duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) genome sequence. The place of (egg-laying) monotremes, such as the platypus, in mammalian evolutionary history has remained controversial. Now, researchers are finding that the distinctive anatomical and physiological properties of the platypus are reflected in the newly sequenced platypus genome. Through comparative genomics, the platypus genome is providing remarkable insights into the evolution of venom components, the sex-determination system, testicular descent, and small RNA pathways. Primary research reports describing these novel insights will appear online May 8, concurrent with publication of the platypus genome sequence report in the journal Nature.

Superbug genome sequenced

Wed, 07 May 2008 14:19:44 -0500

The genome of a newly-emerging superbug, commonly known as Steno, has just been sequenced. The results reveal an organism with a remarkable capacity for drug resistance. The research was carried out by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge and the University of Bristol.

Researchers produce first sequence map of large-scale structural variation in human genome

Thu, 01 May 2008 12:31:09 -0500

A nationwide team of researchers, funded in part by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has produced the first sequence-based map of large-scale structural variation across the human genome. The work, published today in the journal Nature, provides a starting point to examine how such DNA variation contributes to human health and disease.

First draft of transgenic papaya genome yields many fruits

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:27:13 -0500

The papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) interferes with the plant's ability to photosynthesize. The transgenic papaya at the center of this field (darker, rectangular patch of green) are surrounded by non-transgenic... A broad collaboration of research institutions in the U.S. and China has produced a first draft of the papaya genome. This draft, which spells out more than 90 percent of the plant’s gene coding sequence, sheds new light on the evolution of flowering plants. And because it involves a genetically modified plant, the newly sequenced papaya genome offers the most detailed picture yet of the genetic changes that make the plant resistant to the papaya ringspot virus.

Tomato pathogen genome may offer clues about bacterial evolution

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:40:16 -0500

The availability of new genome sequencing technology has prompted a Virginia Tech plant scientist to test an intriguing hypothesis about how agriculture’s early beginnings may have impacted the evolution of plant pathogens.

Protein data bank archives 50,000th molecule structure

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:11:50 -0500

Hemoglobin (PDB ID 4hhb), one of the earliest structures deposited in the archive. Today, there are dozens of structures of hemoglobin in the PDB, showing the process of oxygen binding and revealing the molecular details of sickle cell anemia. Credit: Protein Data Bank and David Goodsell The Protein Data Bank (PDB) based at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) this month reached a significant milestone in its 37-year history. The 50,000th molecule structure was released into its archive, joining other structures vital to pharmacology, bioinformatics and education.

GenBank celebrates 25 years of service

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:41:03 -0500

For a quarter century, GenBank has helped advance scientific discovery worldwide. Established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1982, the database of nucleic acid sequences is one of the key tools that scientists use to conduct biomedical and biologic research. Since its creation, GenBank has grown at an exponential rate, doubling in size every 18 months. In celebration of this vital resource and its contribution to science over the last 25 years, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine (NLM), NIH, is holding a two-day conference on GenBank.

Giant panda genome to be sequenced

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:52:39 -0500

Giant panda. Cardiff University is contributing to the first genome project to assist conservation efforts for an endangered species.

Ant guts could pave the way for better drugs

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:09:49 -0500

Scientists have discovered two key proteins that guide one of the two groups of pathogenic bacteria to make their hardy outer shells -- their defense against the world.