BOL: Related items

New Layout for BLAST ftp Database Site

Jit — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 11:57:11 -0600

As announced previously, the new default database version for BLAST+ is dbV5. To complete this transition, the ftp database site will be updated to support this change. We expect this change to happen around February 4^th, please adjust your scripts or procedures accordingly.

Here is a list of what is changing:

All databases at the root level will be dbV5.
The dbV5 file naming, “_v5” will be removed. Databases with no “_vX” descriptor will be dbV5.
dbV4 tarballs will be renamed with "_v4", files included in tarball will not be renamed.
dbV4 databases will be moved to a v4 subdirectory.
As of 1/13/20 the Cloud directory will be frozen with no more new entries.
The will be no more updates to dbV4 databases.
The FASTA directory will contain nr, nt, swissprot, and pdbaa files.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact blast-help@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Genetics for Fun and Profit: Andrew Hessel at TEDxVilnius

Sun, 01 Sep 2013 19:15:06 -0500

Andrew Hessel co-chairs the Bioinformatics and Biotechnology track at the Singularity University, an institution founded by futurist Ray Kurzweil and X Prize Foundation CEO Peter Diamandis, with sponsorship from world-leading organizations that include Google, Autodesk, and NASA. He is also the founder of the Pink Army Cooperative, a venture aiming to make open source personalized cancer therapies. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Futurist Magazine, H+, and Wired News. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

PostDocs positions in computer science in HELSINKI, FINLAND

Fri, 06 Sep 2013 10:11:19 -0500

Several university departments in the Helsinki region, Finland, are looking for postdoctoral researchers in the field of computer science and information technology. Jobs are available at:
· Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT, Aalto University and University of Helsinki, http://www.hiit.fi
· Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki, http://www.cs.helsinki.fi
· Department of Information and Computer Science, Aalto University, http://ics.aalto.fi
· Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Aalto University, http://cse.aalto.fi
· Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, http://mathstat.helsinki.fi/english/

Why Helsinki?
The collaborating Aalto University and University of Helsinki form a leading hub of computer science and modelling, including Machine learning, Data mining, Algorithms, Computational Logic, Cloud computing, Distributed computing, Human-centric ubiquitous ICT, Bioinformatics, etc.
Helsinki region is a safe, pleasant and attractive place to live in, with well-functioning services such as public transport etc. Finland has a comprehensive social security and health care system, including exceptionally good parental leaves, and children's day care services.

Positions are offered in:
Algorithm engineering (String Algorithms group)
Algorithmic bioinformatics (Genome-Scale Algorithmics group)
Automated reasoning and search, especially propositional logic (Computational Logic group)
Computational astrophysics and/or data analysis (Computational Methods and Data Analysis for Astrophysics group)
Computational biology and statistical methods in bioinformatics (Computational Systems Biology group)
Computational creativity and data mining (Discovery group)
Dynamic and large-scale networked systems (Data Communications Software group)
Intelligent multimodal information access (Content-Based Image and Information Retrieval Group)
Machine learning and neuroscience (Statistical Machine Learning group)
Machine learning for structured data (Kernel Machines, Pattern Analysis and Computational Biology group)
Machine learning methods for infectious disease epidemiology (Bayesian Statistics Group)
Probabilistic modeling and machine learning (Complex Systems Computation group)
Statistical machine learning (Statistical Machine Learning group)
Analysing ubiquitous sensor data (HIIT-Wide Focus Area)
Interactive visualization (HIIT-Wide Focus Area)
Affective computing and BCI (HIIT-Wide Focus Area)
Intelligent user interfaces and/or recommender systems (HIIT-Wide Focus Area)
Information retrieval and HCI (HIIT-Wide Focus Area)
Machine learning and data analysis, especially information retrieval, HCI, text and context data (HIIT-Wide Focus Area)
Probabilistic modeling and data analysis for bioinformatics (HIIT-Wide Focus Area)

More at http://www.hiit.fi/postdoc-call-2013

New BLAST Core Nucleotide Database (core_nt)

LEGE — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:12:53 -0500

The Core Nucleotide Database (core_nt) is now the default nucleotide BLAST database. Core_nt is also available on the command line. You get faster searches & more focused results.

Core_nt contains the same eukaryotic transcript and gene-related sequences as nt. The core_nt database is nt without most eukaryotic chromosome sequences. Most nucleotide BLAST searches with core_nt will be similar to the nt database. However, core_nt is better than nt for accomplishing your most common BLAST search goals, such as identifying gene-related sequences like transcript sequences and complete bacterial chromosomes. This is because, in recent years, nt has acquired more low-relevance, non-annotated, and non-gene content.

Learn more: https://ncbiinsights.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2024/07/18/new-blast-core-nucleotide-database/

CPCRI Kasaragod Bioinformatics PA

Sat, 07 Sep 2013 14:15:53 -0500

CENTRAL PLANTATION CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
KASARAGOD -671 124, KERALA

WALK-IN-INTERVIEW

Walk-in-test cum interview for selection to the following temporary assignments sanctioned under the DBT sponsored adhoc time bound research scheme entitled "Establishment of a Sub-DIC" will be held at CPCRl, Kudlu PO, Kasaragod District, Kerala -6711 24 on the date and time indicated against each:

Project Assistant

Qualification: Essential: Masters Degree in Bioinformatics / B.Tech Degree in Bioinformatics

Desirable: 1. Experience in the field of bioinformatics
2. M.Phil / Doctoral degree in the field

Date of interview 24.09.2013 at 10.00 a.m.

Trainee – 2 Posts

Essential: Masters Degree in Bioinformatics or B.Tech Degree in Bioinformatics.

Date of interview 25.09.2013 at 10.00 a.m.

Studentship – 2 Posts

Essential Final Year/Semester students of MSc Bioinformatics or B.Tech Bioinformatics

Date of Interview 25.09.2013 at 10.00 a.m.

The candidates fulfilling the above eligibility criteria for Item No.1 & II shall apply online and walk-in for a written test and interview at CPCRI, Kasaragod on the respective dates at 10.00 a.m. The candidates for Studentship should submit the application through their Head of the Department. They shall also bring with them a set of bio data and original certificates in proof of age, educational qualifications, experience etc. Candidates who fail to produce the original of the Degree/PO certificates OR provisional certificate will not be allowed to attend the test / interview. Those who are qualified in written test will only be permitted to attend the interview.

No TA will be paid for the journey for attending the interview.

Advertisement: http://www.cpcri.gov.in/images/images/opportunity/sep4_opp.pdf

BLAST options, setting and defaults

Jit — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 08:29:37 -0600

BLAST stands for Basic Local Alignment Search Tool and was developed by Altschul et al. (1990) and significantly improved by Altschul et al. (1997). It is a very fast search algorithm that is used to separately search protein or DNA databases. BLAST is best used for sequence similarity searching, rather than for motif searching. For searches using a query sequence of fewer than twenty residues, PatMatch is the best choice. Another sequence alignment tool that may yield different results from BLAST, and may be useful for motif searching, is FASTA. To search nonplant datasets, try NCGR BLAST or NCBI BLAST.

A fairly complete on-line guide to BLAST searching can be found at the NCBI BLAST Help Manual. For a theoretical overview of BLAST, see the NCBI BLAST Course. Additional information can be found in the BLAST 2.0 Release Notes

	BLASTN	BLASTP	BLASTX	TBLASTN	TBLASTX	PSIBLAST
Gap opening penalty: cost to open a gap [integer]	default = 5	default = 11 limited values are supported	default = 11 limited values are supported	default = 11 limited values are supported	default = 11 limited values are supported	default = 5
Gap extension penalty: cost to extend a gap [integer]	default = 2	default = 1 a 0 in this field means to use the default	default = 1 a 0 in this field means to use the default	default = 1 a 0 in this field means to use the default	default = 1 a 0 in this field means to use the default	default = 2
Nucleic match: reward for a match in the BLAST portion of run [integer]	default = 1	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	default = 1
Nucleic mismatch: penalty for a mismatch in the blast portion of run [integer]	default = -3	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	default = -3
Expectation value: (E) [real]	default = 10.0	default = 10.0	default = 10.0	default = 10.0	default = 10.0	default = 10.0
Word size: the size of the initial word that must be matched between the database and the query sequence	default = 11	default = 3	default = 3	default = 3	default = 3	default = 11
Max scores: Number of one-line descriptions (V) [Integer]	default = 25	default = 25	default = 25	default = 25	default = 25	default = 25
Max alignments: number of alignments to show (B) [integer]	default = 15	default = 15	default = 15	default = 15	default = 15	default = 15
Query filter: filter applied to the query sequence	default = DUST	default = SEG	default = SEG	default = SEG	default = SEG	default = DUST
Query genetic code: genetic code to be used in BLASTX translation of the query	n/a	n/a	default = universal	default = universal	default = universal	n/a
Matrix: substitution matrix to be used for amino acid comparisons	no default	default = blosum62	default = blosum62	default = blosum62	default = blosum62	no default

Supported and Suggested Values for Gap Open and Extension in BLASTP, BLASTX, TBLASTN, and TBLASTX

Gaps Open	Gap Extension
10	1
10	2
11	1
8	2
9	2

Address of the bookmark: https://www.arabidopsis.org/Blast/BLASToptions.jsp

La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 13:05:14 -0500

La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

An exciting opportunity exists for a highly motivated and enthusiastic bioinformatics researcher to work in the Exosome, Secretome and Systems Biology laboratory of Dr Suresh Mathivanan. This position is funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) USA, to study the role of extracellular RNA or ExRNA in intercellular communication.

The successful applicant will be involved in collaborative bioinformatics research with more than 30 American Universities/Institutes. The ExRNA consortium is a multi-institute USD 17 million funded program which has 5 primary aims: to understand the biogenesis of ExRNA (vesicles and non-vesicles), to explore the use of ExRNA in biomarker research, to establish a reference profile of ExRNA in various disease conditions, to explore the role of ExRNA in therapeutic purposes and to manage the generated data through a reference portal. The bioinformatics component is critical in managing and analysing the data generated by the entire consortium. The researcher is required to contribute to the management and perform the analysis of ExRNA data.

The candidate to succeed, you will possess:

Experience in the analysis and modelling of data, including the capacity to integrate data from a range of sources and of uneven quality.

Evidence of experience in research and of the ability to work effectively under limited supervision or independently.

A record of contribution to publications, conference papers and/or reports, or professional or technical contributions which provide evidence of research potential.

Completion of a doctoral degree in bioinformatics or biostatistics with a focus on transcriptomic data will be highly regarded.

Preference will be given to applicants with competence in programming (JavaScript, Perl/Python), any web-based applications (PHP, ZOPE) and relational databases (MySQL).

Closing date: 30 September 2013

Position Enquiries: Dr Suresh Mathivanan (s.mathivanan@latrobe.edu.au)

More at http://www.mathivananlab.org/

NCBIBLAST+ 2.14.1 now available

Neel — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 02:36:13 -0500

#NCBIBLAST+ 2.14.1 now available with improved documentation, faster and more reliable database downloads, and some bug fixes.

Check out the changes they made.

They added the cleanup-blastdb-volumes.py script to remove unused BLAST database volumes. Read the documentation here.

They also switched the protocol from ftp to https to access BLAST databases for increased performance and reliability when downloading data from the NCBI with the update_blastdb.pl script.

And fixed a few bugs related to downloading data from the NCBI, and mt_mode crashing blastn and blastx.

Check out the release notes.

Download BLAST+ 2.14.1

Questions or comments? Please write the BLAST help desk.

More info and download: https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/doc/blast-news/2023-BLAST-News.html

Pandey Lab

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 13:19:18 -0500

The Pandey Lab at Johns Hopkins University is a Systems Biology lab that combines molecular biology, analytical chemistry and computational biology with various "Omics" technologies including genomics and proteomics to understand signaling pathways and to identify therapeutic targets and biomarkers in a number of cancers.

More at http://pandeylab.igm.jhmi.edu/

http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OhuG0FcAAAAJ&hl=en

BLAST+ 5: Key Updates and Enhancements for Modern Bioinformatics

LEGE — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 22:37:48 -0600

The BLAST+ 5 (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) update has introduced several key enhancements aimed at improving performance, user experience, and compatibility with evolving genomic data standards. Here are the major updates:

Database Enhancements:
- The BLAST databases have shifted fully to the version 5 (v5) format, which integrates built-in taxonomy information. This allows for more detailed and efficient sequence annotation and analysis.
- Protein databases in v5 are now accession-based, supporting a broader range of sequences, including those from high-throughput projects and the Pathogen Detection Project. These databases also accommodate structural proteins with multi-character chain identifiers.
Performance Improvements:
- Adaptive Composition-Based Statistics (CBS) is available as an experimental feature, enhancing the detection of novel results in protein-protein comparisons.
- Updated algorithms improve the stability of search results, especially when fewer hits are requested than the default output.
Compatibility:
- Support for the older v4 databases has been discontinued. The v5 format is now the default for all BLAST database updates, ensuring alignment with current standards in bioinformatics.
User-Friendly Changes:
- Naming conventions for databases have been simplified to enhance clarity and ease of use. For example, database names no longer include version tags like "_v5".
Future-Proofing:
- BLAST+ 5 aligns with current and upcoming data requirements, ensuring that researchers have access to the most comprehensive and modern resources for sequence alignment.

These updates reflect NCBI's commitment to maintaining BLAST as a leading tool for sequence analysis. For detailed release notes and additional guidance, refer to NCBI Insights here