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Articles on Bioinformatics

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Ancient DNA preserved in the tooth tartar of human fossils encodes microbial metabolites that could be the next antibiotic. Werner/Siemens Foundation

Reconstructing ancient bacterial genomes can revive previously unknown molecules – offering a potential source for new antibiotics

Ancient microbes likely produced natural products their descendants today do not. Tapping into this lost chemical diversity could offer a potential source of new drugs.
Some human coronaviruses cause seasonal colds or other mild symptoms. Others can be severe and even fatal. Jdidi wassim/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Some coronaviruses kill, while others cause a common cold. We are getting closer to knowing why

The enigmatic envelope protein seems to hold the key to understanding why some human coronaviruses cause more severe disease than others.
A Liberian health worker disinfects a street corner where a suspected Ebola patient was picked up by an ambulance. EPA/Ahmed Jallanzo

Infection projections: how the spread of Ebola is calculated

The number of reported Ebola cases is doubling roughly every five weeks in Sierra Leone, and in as little as two to three weeks in Liberia. The number of reported cases globally is projected to reach 10,000…
Prize winner Lesley Hughes was praised for her work on explaining climate change. Flickr/Climate Commission

Plain talker on climate change among Eureka Prize winners

An ecologist’s work to explain the impact of climate change to as wide an audience as possible has been awarded one of this year’s Eureka Prizes. The annual Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, announced Wednesday…
Professor Terence Paul Speed wins the coveted Prime Minister’s Prize for Science at age 70. Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/Bearcage

Maths whiz wins PM’s Science Prize for fight against cancer

Australian mathematician and statistician Terry Speed has been awarded the 2013 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for giving biologists the statistical tools needed to fight cancer, and for a lifetime…
There are a lot of components to biology – bioinformatics helps us makes sense of them all. Image from Shutterstock.com

Explainer: what is bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics underpins and enables research across the life sciences. This ranges from high-volume reductionist science (genomics, proteomics and the other “omics”, regulation of gene activity, epigenetics…
The human brain can write plays and build robots, but where did this intelligence come from? ores2k

Human intelligence: why are we the smartest primates?

Intelligence is our most complex characteristic. Some would even say it defines us, setting us apart from other primates. And now, a new study – published this week by Hennady P. Shulha and colleagues…

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