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.

Scientists discover origin of Barrett's esophagus

Dr Frank McKeon, Senior Group Leader of the Stem Cell and Developmental Biology at A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore, and Principal Investigator Dr Wa Xian at A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology, together with their counterparts from the Harvard Medical School, the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and the National University of Singapore, have made the striking finding that Barrett's esophagus work, published online in the journal Cell on 24 June 2011, is essential to developing therapeutics for esophageal cancer.

28 Jun 2011

Epilepsy may arise from complex mixture of altered ion channels

Imagine two flat screen televisions tuned to the same channel and sitting side-by-side. From a distance, their pictures are virtually the same, however up close, you can see subtle variations in the pixels - one blurred here, another dropped out there.

24 Jun 2011

New VAAST software tool can identify disease-causing mutations in rare genetic disorders

Harnessing the new generation of rapid, highly accurate gene-sequencing techniques, a research team has identified the disease-causing mutation in a newly characterized rare genetic disease, by analyzing DNA from just a few individuals.

24 Jun 2011

Researchers discover new mechanism for origin of Barrett's esophagus

Researchers have discovered a new mechanism for the origin of Barrett's esophagus, an intestine-like growth in the esophagus that is triggered by chronic acid reflux and often progresses to esophageal cancer.

24 Jun 2011

Indian biotechnology market to reach over $11 billion by 2017

The Indian biotechnology market is set to reach over $11 billion by 2017, according to a new report available on companiesandmarkets.com. The market will be driven by foreign investment, growing R&D and infrastructure investment, an emerging contract research market, drug discovery and growth in manufacturing outsourcing to India.

21 Jun 2011

Penn State receives NIH grant to improve public health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Penn State, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and Penn State College of Medicine a $27.3 million, five-year grant designed to accelerate the translation of scientific discovery into methods for improving public health.

15 Jun 2011

Scientists identify six influenza A viruses similar to 2009 pandemic strain

Scientists using new mathematical and computational techniques have identified six influenza A viruses that have particularly close genetic relationships to the H1N1 "swine" flu virus that swept through the United States beginning in the spring of 2009. That virus eventually killed almost 18,000 people worldwide.

14 Jun 2011

Scientists identify potential target for reversing deadly blood infection sepsis

By digging a little deeper, researchers may have found a potential target for reversing the deadly blood infection sepsis.

13 Jun 2011

Free access to enteric pathogen's genetic regulation data

Just a few genes make enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) extremely dangerous to humans. If it were not for these genes, EHEC would hardly differ from harmless enteric bacteria. Bioinformatics scientists from the Saarbr-cken Cluster of Excellence want to exploit this similarity to find starting points for effective drugs against the EHEC pathogen.

10 Jun 2011

Study links mutations in essential genes with orphan diseases

Mutations in genes essential to survival are behind so-called orphan diseases, explaining in part why these diseases are rare and often deadly, according to a study appearing in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

10 Jun 2011

European Bioinformatics Institute drives genomics research with GÉANT

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), which hosts the world’s largest public collection of molecular biology databases, is using the pan-European GÉANT research network and JANET, the UK research network, to help biologists share vital data across the globe.

9 Jun 2011

CLC Bio unveils new framework for visualizing, combining and analyzing genome data

Today at the Copenhagenomics conference, CLC bio has revealed Genomics Gateway - a new framework for visualizing, combining and analyzing genome data.

9 Jun 2011

UC Davis and BGI partner to conduct large-scale genome sequencing and functional genomics programs

The University of California, Davis, and BGI, the world's largest genome sequencing institute, agreed today (June 8) to form a partnership to conduct large-scale genome sequencing and functional genomics programs, focusing initially on the areas of food security; human and animal health and wellness; and biodiversity and environmental health.

8 Jun 2011

McGill researcher develops speedier technique for predicting protein folding pathways

Protein folding has nothing to do with laundry. It is, in fact, one of the central questions in biochemistry. Protein folding is the continual and universal process whereby the long, coiled strings of amino acids that make up proteins in all living things fold into more complex three-dimensional structures.

8 Jun 2011

CLC bio, AROS partner to provide 'Total Genomic Solutions'

Today, CLC bio announced its collaboration with one of the premier European service providers, GLP and GCP certified AROS Applied Biotechnology who specialize in Total Genomic Solutions, covering all steps from extraction, sample banking, and analysis, to advanced bioinformatics using CLC bio's enterprise platform.

8 Jun 2011

Clinical-research expert moving to Stanford

Steven Goodman, MD, PhD, has worn many hats through his long and varied career, from pediatrician to biostatistician, from epidemiologist to clinical trial expert, from scientist to, well, opera singer. Admittedly, opera has been more of a hobby for him than a career path, but it does give some indication of his ability to master a wide range of subjects.

7 Jun 2011

Researchers to use three-dimensional liver mimic for toxicity study on human body

The liver is the primary organ in the human body that metabolizes foreign compounds such as drugs, alcohol, cigarette smoke, and environmental chemicals. Using the liver as an alarm system, researchers are starting to better understand the different levels of toxicity from these compounds and their effects on the human body.

7 Jun 2011

BGI genome sequencing identifies new super-toxic bacteria as cause of current European epidemic

The recent outbreak of an E. coli infection in Germany has resulted in serious concerns about the potential appearance of a new deadly strain of bacteria.

4 Jun 2011

Life Technologies launches new genomic analysis software

Addressing the issue of data overload from next-generation sequencers, Life Technologies Corporation today launched its LifeScope 2.0 Genomic Analysis Software, a significantly enhanced bioinformatics system for analyzing data from genomic sequencing instruments to study human disease such as cancer.

27 May 2011

Paxil and Pravachol in combination cause unexpected increase in blood glucose levels

A widely used combination of two common medications may cause unexpected increases in blood glucose levels, according to a study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University and Harvard Medical School. Researchers were surprised at the finding because neither of the two drugs - one, an antidepressant marketed as Paxil, and the other, a cholesterol-lowering medication called Pravachol - has a similar effect alone.

26 May 2011