BOL: Related items

What Junk DNA? It’s an Operating System

Rahul Agarwal — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 15:24:26 -0500

The report adds to growing experimental support for the idea that all that extra stuff in the human genes, once referred to as “junk DNA,” is more than functionless, space-filling material that happens to make up nearly 98% of the genome. The paper adds to a growing body of knowledge establishing a considerable role for this material in the regulation of gene expression and its potential role in human disease.

Address of the bookmark: http://www.genengnews.com/keywordsandtools/print/3/32115/

RNA Sequencing Helps Identify Functional Variants from GWAS

Andaleeb — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 21:33:33 -0600

For Alzheimer’s and other complex disorders, mining the genome for disease-associated variants is no longer the obstacle. The challenge nowadays is figuring out how the identified loci relate to disease. As reported last month in Nature and its associated journals, advances in high-throughput RNA sequencing are providing new tools for understanding how disease loci influence gene expression—a starting point for understanding their connection to pathogenesis.

Address of the bookmark: http://schizophreniaforum.org/new/detail.asp?id=1953

Pathway Analysis

Rahul Agarwal — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 08:51:13 -0500

Pathway Analysis is usually performed with aim to enrich the genes with their functional information and reveal the underlying biological mechanisms pursue by genes. Pathway Analysis is not only limited to what biological pathways a particular set of expressed genes follow but also to disclose the relationships between these genes. With availability of more genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics data, interactions between genes involve in multiple pathways become more clear and also relationships between the genes, their transcripts, and their gene products. However, existing tools and dbs mainly based on knowledge driven approach in which pathways will be identified by finding the correlation between the information in one of the pathway knowledge databases (KEGG,Reactome,Panther,BioCarta, Panther,GO,NCI,WikiPathways,etc) and gene expression result for a specific conditions for instance tumor, obesity , cold resistant crops/plants, etc.

Introductory Articles/ppt/sources:

http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.1002375

http://bioinformatics.mdanderson.org/MicroarrayCourse/Lectures09/Pathway%20Analysis.pdf

http://gettinggeneticsdone.blogspot.de/2012/03/pathway-analysis-for-high-throughput.html

http://davetang.org/muse/tag/pathway/

https://www.biostars.org/p/42219/

http://bioinformatics.ca//files/public/Pathways_2014_Module4_v2.pdf

http://bioinformatics.ca//files/public/Pathways_2014_Module2.pdf

Impotant Database and Tools:

GeneMANIA, Cytoscape, IPA and Metacore (Commerical ), Pathway Commons, Reactome ,Panther, BioCyc, WikiPathways, Pathvisio, KEGG, NCI, Stringdb, Amigo, WebGestalt ,ConsensusPathDB ,GSEA,Blast2go

Popular R based tools:

Reactome.db, ReactomePA, ClusterProfiler, Gage, SPIA, topGO, Pathview,DOSE,GOStat

More:

http://www.bioconductor.org/help/search/index.html?q=Enrichment+analysis+

Hoffman Lab

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 02:47:41 -0600

They develop machine learning techniques to better understand chromatin biology. These models and algorithms transform high-dimensional functional genomics data into interpretable patterns and lead to new biological insight.

https://www.pmgenomics.ca/hoffmanlab/

Salzberg lab

Mon, 15 May 2017 05:14:01 -0500

We are a computational biology lab that develops novel methods for analysis of DNA and RNA sequences. Our research includes software for aligning and assembling RNA-seq data, whole-genome assembly, and microbiome analysis. We work closely with biomedical scientists to apply these methods to current problems arising in a broad spectrum of biological and medical research areas. We’re also part of the Center for Computational Biology, a group of 20+ faculty members and their labs at Johns Hopkins working on computational, statistical, and mathematical methods that can turn massive genomic data sets into biologically and clinically useful information.

https://salzberg-lab.org/

The El-Sherif Group, Chair of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology - PhD Position

Sun, 19 Jan 2020 10:06:37 -0600

El-Sherif lab studies how genes are regulated to mediate patterning in Development. We use live and super-resolution imaging in addition to computational modeling to understand transcription dynamics at the single-cell level in three model systems: the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the beetle Tribolium castaneum, and embryonic bodies derived from embryonic mouse stem cells.

In this project, you will use single-molecule techniques to label mRNA and DNA in (live and fixed) Drosophila embryos and fixed embryonic bodies. You will also use super-resolution microscopy to visualize protein condensates. Co-localization dynamics reflecting DNA-protein bindings and DNA looping events will be detected, analyzed, and used to test computational models of gene transcription.

Qualification:
MSc degree (or equivalent) in Biology, Biophysics, or Bioengineering

Experience in one or more of these areas: (1) molecular cloning, (2) imaging, (3) image analysis (using Matlab/Python/Java), (4) microfluidics, and (5) computational modeling.

How to Apply?
Send (1) your CV, (2) summary of research experience, and (3) email addresses of at least 2 references to ezzat.el-sherif@fau.de. Title your email ‘Transcription PhD Position’.

salary Grade.: E13
Total Time: 3 Jahre
Start: 01.01.2020.
End: 31.3.2020.

Address:
Dr. El-Sherif, Ezzat
Department Biologie
Professur für Zoologie (Entwicklungsbiologie) (Prof. Dr. Klingler)
Telefon 09131/85-28068, Fax 09131/85-28040, E-Mail: ezzat.el-sherif@fau.de

HDOCK SERVER

Neel — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 01:54:41 -0500

HDOCK SERVER

Protein-protein and protein-DNA/RNA docking based on a hybrid algorithm of template-based modeling and ab initio free docking.

The HDOCK server distinguishes itself from similar docking servers in its ability to support amino acid sequences as input and a hybrid docking strategy in which experimental information about the protein–protein binding site and small-angle X-ray scattering can be incorporated during the docking and post-docking processes.

Address of the bookmark: http://hdock.phys.hust.edu.cn/

Basics of BLAST Programs !

BioStar — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 06:04:26 -0500

The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is a powerful bioinformatics program used to compare an input sequence (such as DNA, RNA, or protein sequences) against a database of sequences to find regions of similarity. Developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), BLAST is widely used for identifying species, finding functional and evolutionary relationships between sequences, and predicting the function of novel sequences.

Key Features of BLAST:
1. Sequence Comparison: BLAST searches for local alignments between the query sequence and sequences in a database. It identifies regions of similarity, which can help infer functional and evolutionary relationships.

2. Speed and Efficiency: BLAST uses heuristic algorithms, making it faster than exhaustive search methods, suitable for large-scale database searches.

3. Versatility: There are several versions of BLAST for different types of sequence comparisons:
- blastn: Compares a nucleotide query sequence against a nucleotide sequence database.
- blastp: Compares a protein query sequence against a protein sequence database.
- blastx: Compares a nucleotide query sequence translated in all reading frames against a protein sequence database.
- tblastn: Compares a protein query sequence against a nucleotide sequence database translated in all reading frames.
- tblastx: Compares the six-frame translations of a nucleotide query sequence against the six-frame translations of a nucleotide sequence database.

4. Scoring and E-value: BLAST results are scored based on the quality and length of the alignments. The E-value (expect value) indicates the number of alignments one can expect to find by chance, with lower E-values representing more significant matches.

5. Output Formats: BLAST provides results in various formats, including plain text, HTML, XML, and JSON, making it adaptable for different types of analyses and integrations with other tools.

Applications of BLAST:
- Genomic Research: Identifying genes, understanding genetic diversity, and mapping genome sequences.
- Protein Function Prediction: Inferring the function of unknown proteins by comparing them to known protein sequences.
- Evolutionary Studies: Exploring evolutionary relationships between organisms by comparing their genetic material.
- Medical Research: Identifying pathogens, understanding disease mechanisms, and developing treatments by comparing sequences of interest.

Overall, BLAST is an essential tool in bioinformatics, offering a reliable and efficient way to analyze and interpret biological sequence data.

Exploring RNA Sequence Analysis: Tools for Every Bioinformatician

Neel — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 04:03:04 -0600

RNA sequence analysis has become an essential part of modern biological research. From RNA-seq pipelines to specialized tools for specific RNA types, here's a comprehensive guide to tools you can use to make sense of RNA data.

1. RNA-Seq Analysis Pipelines

RNA-seq is one of the most popular techniques for studying RNA. These tools streamline processing raw sequence data:

FASTQC: For quality control of raw RNA-seq reads.
Trimmomatic: For trimming and filtering RNA-seq reads.
HISAT2/STAR: High-performance aligners for RNA-seq reads.
FeatureCounts: For quantifying gene expression.
DESeq2/EdgeR: For differential expression analysis.

2. Transcriptome Assembly and Annotation

For analyzing transcriptomes from non-model organisms or assembling novel transcripts:

Trinity: For de novo transcriptome assembly.
StringTie: For transcript assembly and quantification from RNA-seq alignments.
TransDecoder: To predict coding regions within assembled transcripts.
TAU: Tools for annotating non-coding and coding RNAs.

3. Exploring Non-Coding RNA (ncRNA)

Non-coding RNAs play critical regulatory roles. Dedicated tools for studying them include:

Infernal: For identifying ncRNA sequences based on covariance models.
Rfam: Database and tools for ncRNA families.
miRDeep: For identifying microRNAs in RNA-seq datasets.

4. RNA Structure and Motif Analysis

Structural biology of RNA helps in understanding its function:

RNAfold (ViennaRNA): Predicts secondary structures from RNA sequences.
RNAstructure: Tools for RNA secondary structure prediction and analysis.
MEME Suite: For identifying motifs in RNA sequences.
IntaRNA: For RNA-RNA interaction prediction.

5. RNA Editing and Modifications

Epitranscriptomics is a growing field focusing on RNA modifications:

REDItools: For RNA editing analysis.
m6Aboost: For identifying m6A modifications in RNA.

6. Long-Read RNA Sequencing Analysis

Long-read technologies like Nanopore and PacBio are transforming RNA research:

FLAIR: For isoform-level analysis of long-read RNA-seq data.
NanoMod: For detecting modifications in RNA from Nanopore sequencing.

7. RNA-Protein Interactions

To study RNA-protein interactions and complexes:

RBPmap: For identifying RNA-binding protein motifs.
PARalyzer: For analyzing PAR-CLIP data.

8. Functional Enrichment Analysis

Understanding biological functions and pathways from RNA-seq data:

getENRICH: A tool designed for pathway enrichment analysis of non-model organisms (hypergeometric P-value calculation with FDR correction).
ClusterProfiler: For GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis.

9. Visualization and Data Sharing

Presenting and sharing RNA sequence analysis results effectively:

IGV: Genome browser for visualizing RNA-seq alignments.
Circos: Circular visualization of RNA-seq data.
DashBio: A Python library for creating bioinformatics visualizations.

Conclusion

The bioinformatics landscape for RNA sequence analysis is vast, with tools catering to specific needs. Whether you’re studying coding RNAs, non-coding RNAs, or exploring RNA-protein interactions, the right tools can transform your data into biological insights.

HapSolo: An optimization approach for removing secondary haplotigs during diploid genome assembly and scaffolding

Jit — Sat, 08 May 2021 21:25:00 -0500

HapSolo, that identifies secondary contigs and defines a primary assembly based on multiple pairwise contig alignment metrics. HapSolo evaluates candidate primary assemblies using BUSCO scores and then distinguishes among candidate assemblies using a cost function. The cost function can be defined by the user but by default considers the number of missing, duplicated and single BUSCO genes within the assembly. HapSolo performs hill climbing to minimize cost over thousands of candidate assemblies.

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/esolares/HapSolo