Bioinformatics News and Research

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Bioinformatics is the application of information techniques for the storage, retrieval, and analysis of large quantities of biological data.

Ambry Genetics deploys EMC Isilon scale-out NAS for gene sequencing

EMC Corporation today announced that Ambry Genetics, a leading commercial provider of clinical diagnostic and genomic services, has deployed EMC Isilon scale-out NAS to power its advanced gene sequencing operations, enabling Ambry to advance a range of scientific pursuits while easily managing 100 percent data growth annually.

30 Nov 2011

New database for scientists researching fission yeast

A new database promises to be an invaluable resource to scientists who use a unique single-celled fungus to study human diseases.

29 Nov 2011

GPS at WUSTL now offers new cancer genetic test

Physicians can now take advantage of a new genetics test -- one of the first of its kind to be offered in the United States -- that can help determine the best treatment for cancer patients.

23 Nov 2011

EC launches new project to improve health research and education in Africa

The European Commission has launched a project to improve health research and education in Africa by setting up excellence centres supported by advanced information and communications technologies.

22 Nov 2011

Chloroquine-chemotherapy combination holds potential for metastatic breast cancer treatment

An anti-malaria drug used for more than 60 years is now being studied for use in breast cancer patients whose disease has not responded to traditional chemotherapy treatment.

18 Nov 2011

Molecular level insights into connection between cancer and diabetes

Developing type 2 diabetes is a lengthy process. An early sign that it has begun is high levels of insulin in the blood. As long as the insulin-producing beta cells are able to compensate for the increased demand, for example when the individual is overweight, the blood sugar levels remain normal. It is not until the capacity for insulin secretion falls below the level needed that type 2 diabetes becomes a fact. The latter stage generally goes quickly, as the stressed beta cells work themselves to death.

16 Nov 2011

Researchers discover human genes that might contribute to ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a universally fatal neurodegenerative disease. Mutations in two related proteins, TDP-43 and FUS, cause some forms of ALS. Specifically, these two proteins are RNA-binding proteins that connect to RNA to regulate the translation of proteins and other cellular functions such as RNA splicing and editing. In a new study, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania discovered additional human genes with properties similar to TDP-43 and FUS that might also contribute to ALS.

16 Nov 2011

GHSU expert to again coordinate two national diabetes initiatives

Two national efforts supporting diabetes research will again be coordinated by a Georgia Health Sciences University bioinformatics expert.

10 Nov 2011

BGI, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia partner to target pediatric diseases

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and BGI, the world's largest genomics institute, today announced they have formed a partnership, BGI@CHOP, to conduct large-scale human genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis at a newly established, state-of-the-art Joint Genome Center at Children's Hospital.

10 Nov 2011

Novel mathematical method reveals genetic distinction between individuals

At a time when profound gaps remain in our understanding of how one person's genes differ from another person's, developing accurate methods to interpret the human genome is essential to uncover population history, population relationships and the genetic basis of some of the most common diseases affecting society.

9 Nov 2011

Researchers match protein to the job it performs in human body

Scientists at Rochester Institute of Technology and Dowling College are engaged in a similar game with higher stakes. Instead of cards, they are matching the protein to the job it performs in the human body. Their research could lead to drugs that target proteins and switch on or off specific functions associated with various diseases.

8 Nov 2011

Epigenetic alterations may play an important role in autism

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School are the first to map epigenetic changes in neurons from the brains of individuals with autism, providing empirical evidence that epigenetic alterations-changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence-may play an important role in the disease.

8 Nov 2011

SGI HPC systems selected for genomics research at Kyoto University's Institute for Chemical Research

SGI, the trusted leader in technical computing, announced today that the Institute for Chemical Research at Kyoto University in Kyoto, Japan, has selected an SGI high performance computing (HPC) and storage system to advance genomics research at the Institute.

2 Nov 2011

UL, IU and UMMS to implement Center for Excellence in Health and Life Sciences

Indiana University today announced that it is partnering with the University of Liberia and the University of Massachusetts Medical School to administer a transformative $7.2 million project that will address a national shortage of healthcare workers in Liberia, an African nation with which IU has had long-standing ties.

1 Nov 2011

Number of polio cases in Pakistan exceeds total number reported in three other endemic countries, report says

According to a report published earlier this month in Virology Journal by a team at the bioinformatics laboratory of the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) in Lahore, Pakistan, that country is reporting more polio cases than Nigeria, India and Afghanistan -- the three other countries where the disease is endemic -- combined, SciDev.Net reports.

29 Oct 2011

Ambry to use Agilent SureSelect Target Enrichment System for exome sequencing

Agilent Technologies Inc. and Ambry Genetics today announced an agreement under which Ambry Genetics will use the Agilent SureSelect Target Enrichment System for exome sequencing services.

28 Oct 2011

Study provides details on genetics behind many metabolic diseases

In what is so far the largest investigation of its kind, researchers uncovered a wide range of new insights about common diseases and how they are affected by differences between two persons' genes. The results from this study could lead to highly targeted, individualized therapies.

27 Oct 2011

BGI, UC Davis partner to create new sequencing facility in Sacramento

The University of California, Davis, and BGI, the world's largest genomic institute, based in China, have signed a historic agreement that will change the landscape of genomic sciences in California and the Western states, and foster critical breakthroughs in the areas of food security and human, animal and environmental health.

27 Oct 2011

BUSM to develop novel technologies for early lung cancer detection

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) is the lead institution on a $13.6 million study aimed at developing novel technologies for the early detection of lung cancer.

20 Oct 2011

Susan G. Komen-funded project targets genetic complexity of breast tumors

By analyzing which animal models of breast cancer best compare to human cases, a Michigan State University researcher is hoping to overcome one of the most significant barriers in treating the deadly disease: The genetic complexity of the tumors themselves.

19 Oct 2011