The central dogma of molecular biology is that genetic information flows in one direction, from DNA to RNA to proteins. Each ‘layer’ of information consists of a string of its sub-units. The order or sequence of these sub-units determines the contribution of the encoded information to some function in some wonderfully balanced biological pathway that enables life, ranging from genes coding for eye colour, to regulatory instructions for the fate of a cell during development.
There is, therefore, great benefit in determining the sequence of these sub-units. This is achieved by sequencing technologies, the cost of which has plummeted since the advent of rapid, massively parallel, automated testing. For this reason, biological datasets continue to swell, making the notion of navigating through them, to elucidate meaningful information, increasingly hard.
Bioinformatics is a hybrid science occurring at the intersection of mathematics, statistics, computer science and biology. By harnessing the power of nowadays’ computer performance, and “big data” in biology, bioinformaticians develop and/or apply tools to identify significant patterns in the data that could lead to novel biological insight. This may contribute to various applications such as risk-mitigation in asymptomatic individuals with genetic predispositions to common diseases such as heart disease, or more effective treatments for cancer patients via personalised medicine.
EU-funded project ‘BioGeMT’ – Bioinformatics for Genomics in Malta – is a five-year strategy within the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking at the University of Malta
EU-funded project ‘BioGeMT’ – Bioinformatics for Genomics in Malta – is a five-year strategy within the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking at the University of Malta (UM), led by ERA chair Panagiotis Alexiou, supported by a core management team of well-established researchers in the biomedical field in Malta, as well as a growing bioinformatics team of early-stage researchers.
The goal of BioGeMT is to sustainably develop the field in Malta, as well as the knowledge base and machine learning (ML) skills required to translate patient-derived data into a better understanding of disease. To do this, BioGeMT intends to increase collaborations and multidisciplinary projects, create and/or enhance training programmes, increase publications, attract companies, and increase funding.
In this regard, BioGeMT is organising its first MALTAomics Summer School in bioinformatics, between September 11-15 at UM Valletta Campus, focused on multi-omics and ML. More information may be found here.
More information on the project, BioGeMT, is available here.
Stephanie Sammut holds a BSc (Hons) in biology and chemistry from the University of Malta. She is currently engaged as a research support officer on the project BioGeMT, where she performs the duties of research lab manager, and undergoes training in bioinformatics as she aspires to grow in the field.
Sound Bites
• Researchers report that in the absence of visible landmarks, desert ants increase the likelihood that foraging nest mates will find their way home quickly and safely by elevating their nest entrance. Ant colonies whose nests are found deep in the Tunisian saltpans are particularly reliant on the self-made landmarks. If the mound at the nest entrance was removed, they immediately began building a new hill, unless the researchers provided artificial landmarks. This phenomenon adds yet another fascinating facet to the amazing navigation skills of these tiny desert animals.
• The ocean’s colour has changed significantly over the last 20 years, and the global trend is likely a consequence of human-induced climate change, report scientists at MIT, the National Oceanography Centre in the UK, and elsewhere. In a study appearing today in Nature, the team writes that they have detected changes in ocean colour over the past two decades that cannot be explained by natural, year-to-year variability alone.
These colour shifts, though subtle to the human eye, have occurred over 56 per cent of the world’s oceans — an expanse that is larger than the total land area on Earth. In particular, the researchers found that tropical ocean regions near the equator have become steadily greener over time. The shift in ocean colour indicates that ecosystems within the surface ocean must also be changing, as the colour of the ocean is a literal reflection of the organisms and materials in its waters.
For more soundbites, listen to Radio Mocha every Saturday at 7.30pm on Radju Malta and the following Monday at 9pm on Radju Malta 2 https://www.fb.com/RadioMochaMalta/.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Luxembourg (Belgian province) is bigger than Luxembourg (country).
• In early drafts of Lord of the Rings, Sauron was a giant evil cat.
• There are 28,000 orchid species in the world. That is more than twice the number of bird species and more than four times the number of mammal species.
• Travel agent Thomas Cook’s first tourist trip covered the 11 miles from Leicester to Loughborough.
• In 2017, the Indian government instituted a new law banning the sale of alcohol within 500 metres of a highway. Some bars added mazes in front so that patrons had to travel at least 500 metres to get to the bar.
For more trivia, see: www.um.edu.mt/think.