BOL: Related items

NVIDIA and Arc Institute Unveil Evo 2: A Breakthrough AI for DNA Design

BioStar — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:47 -0600

NVIDIA and the Arc Institute have introduced Evo 2, a groundbreaking AI model designed to understand, predict, and generate DNA sequences. This marks a major advancement in computational biology, offering scientists an unprecedented tool to decode the genetic blueprint of life and even design entirely new biological systems.

The Power of Evo 2: AI Meets DNA

Evo 2 is the largest AI model for biology ever created, trained on an astonishing 9.3 trillion DNA "letters" (nucleotides) carefully selected from genomes spanning the entire tree of life. This massive dataset ensures that Evo 2 can recognize patterns and relationships in genetic sequences at an unparalleled scale.

For the first time, scientists can design DNA with AI, moving beyond simple sequence analysis to active DNA generation. Evo 2 enables researchers to predict, modify, and even create entire genetic sequences, opening new possibilities in medicine, agriculture, and synthetic biology.

Decoding the Dark Genome

One of the biggest challenges in genetics is understanding the non-coding regions of DNA—vast stretches of the genome that do not code for proteins but play crucial roles in regulating gene expression. These regions control when and how genes are activated, influencing everything from development to disease.

Evo 2 is designed to decode these non-coding elements, helping researchers uncover their functions and use this knowledge to develop gene-based therapies, synthetic life forms, and precision agriculture solutions.

From Reading DNA to Writing It

To put Evo 2’s impact into perspective:

Previous AI models could "read" DNA like a book, analyzing genetic sequences and identifying patterns.
Evo 2 can "write" entirely new DNA, designing functional genes, chromosomes, and even full genomes from scratch.

This means scientists can now engineer biological systems with AI, designing new proteins, metabolic pathways, and genetic circuits to address real-world challenges.

A Step Toward Generative Biology

The Arc Institute describes Evo 2 as a major step toward "generative biology"—a revolutionary approach where AI is used to create novel biological structures rather than just analyzing existing ones. This could lead to breakthroughs such as:

New medicines: AI-generated enzymes and proteins tailored for targeted therapies.
Disease-resistant crops: Genetically optimized plants for higher yield and climate resilience.
Synthetic organisms: Custom-designed microbes for bioremediation, biofuel production, and industrial applications.

An Open-Source Revolution

Unlike many proprietary AI models, Evo 2 is open source, making its capabilities accessible to researchers worldwide. This democratization of AI-driven biology means that scientists from different disciplines can collaborate, experiment, and innovate, accelerating discoveries in genetic engineering and synthetic biology.

With Evo 2, the boundaries of what’s possible in DNA design, genetic engineering, and biological innovation are being redrawn. The future of life sciences is no longer just about understanding life’s code—it’s about writing it.

Dynamic chromosome breakpoints !!!

Jitendra Narayan — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 18:38:10 -0500

Cell division involves the distribution of identical genetic material, DNA, to two daughters’ cells. During this process, duplicated deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) goes through a condensation and decondensation process. This is followed by nuclear envelope dissolution, mitotic spindle assembly, migration of the sister chromatid pairs to the metaphase plate, division and segregation of identical sets of chromosomes into daughter nuclei and nuclear envelope reformation.

The vital metaphase stage of cell division, when the sister chromatids migrated to the centre and lined up in a row, and pulled apart using attached microtubules in such a way that half the DNA ends up in each daughter cell. However, before the mitotic spindle‐mediated movement gets start and pulled DNA apart, the chromosomes are free to undergo recombination which involves the exchange of genetic material either between multiple chromosomes or between different regions of the same chromosome.

During recombination, the precise breakage of each strand, exchange between the strands, and sealing of the resulting recombined molecules happens. The “chromosomal breakpoints” refers to these places where they break. Mostly, this process occurs with a high degree of accuracy at high frequency in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. But occasionally this “break and sealing/ break and reattach” process goes wrong and the reattachment happens in the wrong place which usually create disaster (with few exceptions).These chromosome disaster or abnormalities involve the gain, loss or rearrangement of visible amounts of genetic material during cell division. These abnormalities are of two type, the first one is numerical abnormalities where severe disorders are caused by the loss or gain of whole chromosomes, which affect the copy number of hundreds or even thousands of genes. The second are structural abnormalities which can be unbalanced or balanced. The former are similar to numerical abnormalities in that genetic material is either gained or lost. The natural defects in chromosome segregation are linked to cancer and several genetic diseases (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genetic_disorders). Therefore, the enzymes involved in regulating cell division are still the attractive drug targets for many diseases.

Apart from certain chromosome abnormalities, these “crossing over” of segments of maternal and paternal chromosomes to form hybrid chromosomes have some evolutionary importance and considered as a driver of genetic variation. Moreover, the chromosome breakage in evolution is considered to be non-random in nature(http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.0020014). In addition the study of breakpoint regions and non-breakpoint (stable) regions of chromosomes indicates both the regions evolved in distinctly different ways ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2675965/). These breakage may lead to genetic diseases or participate to chromosomal rearranmgnets and contributed in development of new species.

I will try to explain the genome hotspots/Evolutionary Breakpoint Regions(EBRs)/fragile regions/weak fragments/ in my next blog.

Software for recombination detection:

RAT http://cbr.jic.ac.uk/dicks/software/RAT/

Breakpointer https://github.com/ruping/Breakpointer

DRP http://web.cbio.uct.ac.za/~darren/rdp.html

RB-finder http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18707535

LDhat2.0 http://ldhat.sourceforge.net/LDhat2.0/instructions.shtml

Reference:

http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetic-recombination-514#

Image: Wikipedia , sciencelearn.org.nz

Recommended Articles:

http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2012/05/22/13-chromosomal-disorders-youve-never-heard-of/

http://web.udl.es/usuaris/e4650869/docencia/segoncicle/genclin98/recursos_classe_%28pdf%29/revisionsPDF/chromosyndromes.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775595/table/T2/

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/disorders/chromosomal/

http://www.ncert.nic.in/html/learning_basket/biology/cc&cd.pdf

AI Uncovers Hidden Secrets in Bacterial DNA, Opening New Frontiers in Genomic Research

Jitendra Narayan — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 22:38:42 -0500

Scientists are now using artificial intelligence in order to examine sections of bacterial DNA that have not been looked at before. This method is showing potential RNA interactions and previously unknown genetic systems which could alter our understanding of microbes. A new study presents Minerva, a genome language model, demonstrating that AI can assist researchers in identifying biological patterns that traditional techniques might fail to detect.

The study, which was made available as a preprint on bioRxiv on 23 September 2026, focuses on the non-coding sections of DNA that are still largely unknown. Although these areas do not produce proteins, they can contain important signals and instructions which have an effect on cell function. The research presents a novel approach to investigating how bacteria handle and control their genetic information.

AI maps previously unexplored genomic regions

The team developed Minerva in order to identify possible interactions between different regions in microbial genomes; rather than depending on similarities with known sequences, Minerva predicts these relationships directly from the DNA by using patterns learned by a genome language model.

On 150 bacterial genomes, Minerva identified a large number of interactions that were not included in the existing annotations. The researchers stated that 84.3 per cent of the predicted intergenic base-pairing interactions were not present in the current annotations, which demonstrates that AI can be of help in generating new ideas in biology.

Unusual RNA structures and viral genetic systems identified

The study also examined a bacterial RNA family known as TwoAYGGAY in Pseudomonas; the model anticipated longer RNA structures and identified associations with repeated DNA sequences, thus providing new insights into how these non-coding elements are organised and how they have evolved.

In a separate section of the study, the researchers examined reverse transcriptase systems associated with bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect bacteria. They identified RNA arrays that maintain their structure but have different sequences and were linked to Unknown Group 27 reverse transcriptases. The findings indicate that these RNAs could function as templates for the production of complementary DNA that is capable of forming hairpin shapes.

The researchers also observed that Minerva was able to detect patterns associated with protein-coding areas, even though it had not been trained to do so. This indicates that genome language models may pick up on biological signals that go beyond what they were intended to identify.

Implications for future genomic research

The fact that artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important in the field of microbial genomics is shown by the fact that models such as Minerva are able to predict interactions and identify patterns in areas which have not been extensively studied, thus helping researchers to decide what to study next and enabling them to gain a better understanding of biological systems that are still not well understood.

Yet the predictions do not reveal the exact function of each element identified. In order to verify which of the predicted interactions actually take place in living cells and the way in which they affect the microbes, experiments will be necessary. Although the study has undergone peer review, it does nonetheless offer a promising illustration of how machine learning can complement traditional genomics and assist scientists in moving from the identification of known genes to the exploration of the complex relationships that shape microbial life.

More at https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.22.753630v2.full.pdf

Guest Faculty at Pondicherry University

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 00:37:57 -0500

Pondicherry University, India

Walk in interview for guest faculty in Pondicherry University, India. For more information please visit http://www.bicpu.edu.in/bioinfor140814.pdf

Webinar on 'An integrated RNA and DNA approach to unravel genetic regulation in cancer'

Yeshodari — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 04:59:57 -0600

Webinar on 'An integrated RNA and DNA approach to unravel genetic regulation in cancer'

Abstract

Whole exome DNA sequencing (WES) or whole genome DNA sequencing (WGS) allows detection of mutations and polymorphisms in all exonic and genomic regions, respectively, while messenger RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) enables quantitative analysis of gene expression. Mutations in the genome result in diverse transcriptional aberrations that can be missed in a stand-alone WES/WGS analysis. An integration of DNA variant analysis and RNA-Seq analysis enables one to investigate the consequences of genomic changes in the RNA transcripts including germline and somatic changes, imprinting, RNA editing and allele specific expression (ASE). In this webinar, we will demonstrate this integrated approach using Strand NGS to identify high confidence mutations, RNA editing events and ASE in cancer.

Webinar Details

Sessions	San Francisco Time (PST)	Tokyo Time (GMT+09:00)	Berlin Time (GMT+01:00)	Mumbai Time (GMT+05:30)
Session 1	25 Feb 12:30 AM	25 Feb 5:30 PM	25 Feb 9:30 AM	25 Feb 2:00 PM
Session 2	25 Feb 9:00 AM	26 Feb 2:00 AM	25 Feb 6:00 PM	25 Feb 10:30 PM

Register here: http://www.strand-ngs.com/webinar_registration

About Speaker:

Dr. Veena Hedatale, has a PhD in Plant Genetics from The Radboud University, Netherlands focused on meiosis and recombination. Her prior academic experience at Cornell University was on genetic mapping and gene transformation in Rice. She has worked with Monsanto, and contributed to data mining, database development as well as gene/promoter/pathway discovery for traits related to yield and stress in crop species. At Strand, Veena has worked on Pharmacogenomic analysis of targets and Gene family analysis projects. Currently, she is part of the Strand NGS Application Science team and is involved in the analysis of next generation sequencing data.

Please feel free to contact us 24/5, for availing free online training or if you have any questions.

Email: sales@strandngs.com

Phone (USA): 1-800-752-9122

Phone (ROW): +1-650-353-5060

Apps for Busy Bioinformatics Researchers !!!

Manisha Mishra — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 01:26:19 -0500

DNAApp:

DNAApp: for iPhone/iPad

This is an iOS app that allows for the opening and analysis of DNA sequencing files - ab1. It includes handy tools such as "Reverse Complement", "Jump to", "Copy and Paste sequences", fast and end scrolling, "Chromatogram adjustments", and "Searching for segments" functions.
When used in combination with other zip apps, and also web-tools like Blast, this app allows you to analyze, and also determine the quality of your sequencing files.
This app works with cloud storage access like Dropbox to your sequencing files.
This is now compatible with the new update for iOS 7.1.
Demo video can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXeo9hXdZgM

More @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dnaapp/id854944694?mt=8

DNAApp: For android

This is the first android app that allows for the opening and analysis of DNA sequencing files - ab1. It includes handy tools such as "Reverse Complement", "Jump to", fast and end scrolling, "Chromatogram adjustments", amino acid translations, "export to fasta", and "searching for segment" function.

When used in combination with other zip apps, and also web-tools like Blast, this app allows you to analyze, and also determine the quality of your sequencing files.
This app works with cloud storage access like Dropbox to your sequencing files.
This is now compatible with the new update for Android 4.4.2.

More @ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bii.seqdatreader&hl=en

BioGene:iPhone/iPad

BioGene is an information tool for biological research. Use BioGene to learn about gene function. Enter a gene symbol or gene name, for example "CDK4" or "cyclin dependent kinase 4" and BioGene will retrieve its gene function and references into its function (GeneRIF).

BioGene was produced in affiliation with the Computational Biology Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with primary information from Entrez Gene at the NCBI.

More @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/biogene/id333180084?mt=8

Mentha - the interactome browser: Android

About: mentha - the interactome browser, is a project that offers protein-protein physical/enzymatic interaction information from various sources. For more details about mentha, visit mentha's website. This client application is an independent project. This application is designed to allow you to search proteins on the go.

Key features (Also in website):

Search proteins by UniProt IDs, gene name or keywords
Collect proteins from different queries.
Spot common interactors in clusters.
Easily distinguish between proteins from Homo sapiens and other organisms (Yellow rounded rectangles)
Click on edges(links) to get scientific evidence.
Click on proteins to see descriptions.

More @ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sinnefa.mentha&hl=en

GeneIndex: iPhone/iPad

GeneIndex quickly provides information about genes from various sources. It also includes a RSS reader for journal feeds as well as a PubMed viewer.

Key Features:

Look up genes by symbol or description.
Gene indexes for many mammals, plants, invertebrates, and bacteria.
Link to gene info on websites.
Download files for offline use. (.pdf, .mp3, .m4v, .doc, .ppt, .xls )
transfer files via open in, email, or iTunes file sharing
View RSS feeds for journals
Query GeneRIF interactions, COSMIC mutations, and CNV data for cell lines.
Does not require a network connection for local databases.
View and search PubMed in table view.

GeneIndex provides a convenient and portable way to lookup gene symbols while at a seminar, conference, or lab meeting. Genes are linked to common life science websites such as NCBI, COSMIC, KEGG, PubMed, SymAtlas, UCSC genome browser, Pathway Commons, Genatlas, Wikipedia, HUGO, and OMIM. GeneRIF gene interactions can also be queried.

Keep current on the scientific literature. GeneIndex includes a RSS reader and web browser for browsing popular journals like Nature, Science, and Cell. You can also add your own RSS feeds. PDFs and podcasts can be saved as files that you can view on the device or email as attachments.
Examine the status of genes in common cell lines. A subset of COSMIC containing cell lines can be queried for mutations. Copy Number Variation (CNV) plots from cell lines profiled by GSK and Sanger are also linked to genes.

More @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/geneindex/id319769866?mt=8

Genome Voyager: iPad

Gain first hand experience identifying the genomic basis of disease by analyzing cases with whole genome sequencing data that have been published for research and learning purposes.

Visualize whole human genome sequencing data including small variations, copy number variations (CNVs), and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events
Quickly find variants of interest by filtering variants based on associated genes, functional impact, allele frequency in data sets, and cross-references with various genomic databases.
Collaborate on variant assessments with other researchers and academics to improve knowledge of both pathogenic and benign variants.
To use Genome Voyager, users must join Genome Voyager’s community of researchers and academics. Visit http://voyager.completegenomics.com to signup.

More @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/genome-voyager/id637353801?mt=8

YeastGenome: iPhone/iPad

Use YeastGenome to quickly find fundamental information about Saccharomyces cerevisae genes and chromosomal features. Search gene names, gene descriptions or browse the database to find information about your favorite gene, as well as more detailed information such as Gene Ontology, mutant phenotype, and protein and genetic interaction data.
YeastGenome contains the latest from the Saccharomyces Genome Database (www.yeastgenome.org) in an on bound app database. As more detailed information is presented the app switches to web services access to SGD, and then for even more details provides complete information via hyperlinks to the appropriate SGD database pages.

Key features:

Search using gene name or keywords
Browse by feature type
Save your favorite features
Can be used in airplane mode
Email information about features to collaborators

What's New in Version 1.8.1

This update is required to provide continued functionality. Some of the data provided by this app accesses the SGD service using a method that is changing in May 2013. This version provides changes to allow access to continue. The on board database of yeast gene information has also been updated to March 2013.

More @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yeastgenome/id520868597?mt=8

SNPdbe: iPhone/iPad

SNPdbe — SNP database of effects, with predictions of computationally annotated functional impacts of SNPs. Database entries represent nsSNPs in dbSNP and 1000 Genomes collection, as well as variants from UniProt and PMD. SAASs come from >2600 organisms; ‘human’ being the most prevalent. The impact of each SAAS on protein function is predicted using the SNAP and SIFT algorithms and augmented with experimentally derived function/structure information and disease associations from PMD, OMIM and UniProt.

More @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snpdbe/id588289719?mt=8

SimGene: iPhone/iPad / Android

SimGene: for iPhone/iPad

SimGene is an iPhone/iPad/iPod touch application designed for molecular biologists, bioinformaticians and medical researchers. The application interfaces with Simbiot, Ensembl, NCBI, Gene Ontology, KEGG Pathways, PubMed, Genomic Variations and many other databases to retrieve up-to-date annotation information for over 30 species, based on gene symbol search. The application provides gene and transcript cross reference information for NCBI, Ensembl, RefSeq and UniProt. SimGene also contains an integrated genome browser with information on genes, transcripts, exons and SNPs.

More @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/simgene/id427772349?mt=8

SimGene: for Android

bioinformaticians and medical researchers. The application interfaces with Simbiot,Ensembl, NCBI, Gene Ontology, KEGG Pathways, PubMed, Genomic Variations andmany other databases to retrieve up-to-date annotation information for over 30species, based on gene symbol search. The application provides gene and transcriptcross reference information for NCBI, Ensembl, RefSeq and UniProt. SimGene alsocontains an integrated genome browser with information on genes, transcripts,exons and SNPs.

More @ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?

TimeTree: iPhone/iPad

TimeTree is a public knowledge-base for information on the evolutionary timescale of life. This application allows easy exploration of the thousands of divergence times among organisms in the scientific literature. A tree-based (hierarchical) system is used to identify all published molecular time estimates bearing on the divergence of two chosen organisms, such as species, compute summary statistics, and present the results. Names of two taxa to be compared are entered in the search window and the results are presented on a set of self-explanatory tabs.

TimeTree 3.0 was released September 27, 2011 with new data from 1209 studies including 25342 time nodes. We will be adding more data in the future as it comes in from researchers.
TimeTree is jointly directed by Blair Hedges (Pennsylvania State University) and Sudhir Kumar (Arizona State University). This project has been supported, in part, by grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, NASA Astrobiology Institute, and Science Foundation of Arizona.

More @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timetree/id372842500?mt=8

GeneGroove: iPhone/iPad

GeneGroove is the first application to create a music melody from DTC-Genomics data. If you own 23andMe (Mountain View, CA) personal genomic results, GeneGroove will create for you a unique melody intimately based on your 23andMe genome informations. The music in you.

After uploading your 23andMe raw data onto your iPhone via iTunes, GeneGroove will analyze your genome informations and generate a unique identifier key. This key, called the GeNumber, will embed the uniqueness of your genome data while keeping your privacy safe, and will be used by GeneGroove to generate your music melody.
The GeNumber doesn't contain anymore genomic information but it is based on your genome and it is unique, it is yours. It will be used in upcoming Portable Genomics applications to mix and remix music, manipulate sounds and share your art with your friends and family.

More @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/genegroove/id492247404?mt=8

kraken: A universal genomic coordinate translator for comparative genomics

Jit — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 04:45:43 -0600

If you planning on conducting a study involving dozens of large genomes, then you do not have to run all pairwise synteny alignments .. simply try kraken: A universal genomic coordinate translator for comparative genomics

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/nedaz/kraken

Post-Doc Positions at the Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

Thu, 04 Sep 2014 03:59:38 -0500

We are looking for independent, motivated, diligent, laborious, dedicated Bioinformaticians as post-doctorate fellows for a project aimed at revealing the mechanisms of cancer-resistance and anti-cancer activity of the hypoxia-tolerant subterranean, blind mole-rat, Spalax along its underground evolutionary adaptations. Our project has captured the interest of the scientific community and we have ample financial support for the studies. Generous fellowships ($30K to $40K according to qualifications and performance) are available, immediately, for Post-Docs experts in bioinformatics with a background of good understanding biological questions. That is that can independently handle raw output data of RNA-seq / miR seq/ Genomic, analyze it and can interpret intelligently the relevant biological background. Outstanding candidates for PhD experienced in Bioinformatics will also be considered. Familiarity with cancer research is an advantage. Experience of writing manuscripts for publication and a publication record in relevant journals are expected. English skills both oral and written are required. American, Western-European or Israeli education is a significant benefit.

Our present objectives is to identify and isolate the substances secreted by Spalax cells, resolve with which components they interact that are active only on cancer cells, in order to unravel the biological mechanisms and pathways that evolved in Spalax cell machinery and ultimately lead to the death of cancer-cells. The study could attest to be a breakthrough in cancer research, using the long lived, hypoxia- and cancer-tolerant Spalax as a significant biological resource for biomedical research that hopefully could open new horizons in treatment and prevention of cancer in humans.

Contact: The applications should be submitted, together with extended CV and bibliography, summary of past accomplishments, and contact information of 3 referees, to Prof of Research Aaron Avivi (aaron@research.haifa.ac.il) AND Dr. Imad Shams (imadshams@gmail.com). (http://bit.ly/1lywShk) aaron@research.haifa.ac.il

More at http://evolution.haifa.ac.il/index.php/29-people/personal-websites/77-personal-site-avivi

Scribl : HTML5 canvas genomics graphic library

Jit — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 09:38:53 -0500

Scribl is a javascript, Canvas-based graphics library that easily generates biological visuals of genomic regions, alignments, and assembly data. Scribl can also be used in conventional offline pipelines, since everything needed to generate charts can be contained in a single html file.

Address of the bookmark: http://chmille4.github.io/Scribl/

phyloXML: XML for evolutionary biology and comparative genomics

Jit — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 09:41:18 -0600

phyloXML (example) is an XML language designed to describe phylogenetic trees (or networks) and associated data. PhyloXML provides elements for commonly used features, such as taxonomic information, gene names and identifiers, branch lengths, support values, and gene duplication and speciation events. Using these standardized elements allows interoperability between various applications and databases. Furthermore, both due to extensible nature of XML itself and the provision of elements by phyloXML, extensibility as well as domain specific applications are ensured. The structure of phyloXML is described by XML Schema Definition (XSD) language.

http://www.phyloxml.org/archaeopteryx-js/adh.html

Address of the bookmark: http://www.phyloxml.org/