On this page, you can download high resolution images of our renderings. We made them with transparent background, so that you can use it in your work. As the research progresses, we will keep updating the model as well as the images on this page, so stay tuned!

Address of the bookmark: https://nanographics.at/projects/sars-cov-2/

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/OpenGene/fastv

Qualifications: MSc (preferably in Biotechnology, Life Sciences or Zoology, Chemistry, Bioinformatics). Candidates with hands-on experience on GC-MS data acquisition and analysis will be given preference. Bioinformatics expertise required.

Fellowship: As per DBT guidelines.

Tenure: The position is purely on temporary basis with an initial tenure of six months and based on satisfactory performance may continue until the completion of the project.

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until 07/01/2018

Please send a "TWO PAGE" CV by email to: th.icgeb@gmail.com on or before the date indicated.

1. https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/510894
2. https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/511458
3. https://www.ulster.ac.uk/doctoralcollege/find-a-phd/512618

Looking for students with good computational/programming skills (preferable in Linux/Shell, Python and/or R) and knowledge in computational biology and statistics. However, students from more biology oriented background but strong interest to learn bioinformatics and programming are also encouraged to apply.

Informal inquiries are welcomed at: p.shukla@ulster.ac.uk

Dr Priyank Shukla PhD FHEA FCHERP
Lecturer (Asst Prof) in Stratified Medicine (Bioinformatics)

Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine
Biomedical Sciences Research Institute
University of Ulster (Magee Campus)
C-TRIC Building, Altnagelvin Area Hospital
Glenshane Road, Derry/Londonderry
BT47 6SB, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

T: +44 28 7167 5690
E: p.shukla@ulster.ac.uk
W: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/staff/p-shukla

In an age where pathogens continue to evolve and cross boundaries, understanding what makes them virulent—that is, capable of causing disease—has become a critical focus in modern microbiology and genomics. Virulence prediction bridges computational biology, genomics, and machine learning to forecast the pathogenic potential of microbes before they strike.

What Is Virulence?

Virulence refers to the degree of damage a pathogen can inflict on its host. It is determined by a combination of genetic factors—called virulence factors (VFs)—that allow the organism to attach, invade, evade, and harm the host. These include genes coding for toxins, secretion systems, adhesins, and enzymes that disrupt host defenses.

Understanding virulence factors not only helps in deciphering the mechanisms of infection but also provides early warning signs for emerging threats.

Why Predict Virulence?

Traditional virulence studies relied heavily on experimental infection models, which, although accurate, are time-consuming, expensive, and ethically constrained.
Today, the availability of whole-genome sequences and large-scale pathogen databases has paved the way for in silico virulence prediction—a computational approach that can screen thousands of genomes within hours.

This approach enables researchers to:

• Rapidly identify potential high-risk strains.

• Prioritize pathogens for containment, surveillance, or further study.

• Guide vaccine development and drug target discovery.

• Support One Health frameworks, linking animal, human, and environmental health data.

How Is Virulence Predicted?

Virulence prediction combines bioinformatics pipelines with machine learning and comparative genomics. The process generally involves:

1. Genome Annotation: Identifying genes and coding sequences in microbial genomes.

2. Feature Extraction: Comparing sequences with curated databases like VFDB (Virulence Factor Database), PATRIC, or Victors.

3. Pattern Recognition: Using algorithms (e.g., Random Forest, SVM, or deep learning models) to classify genes or strains as virulent or non-virulent based on sequence patterns, motifs, and protein domains.

4. Scoring and Visualization: Assigning a virulence score or confidence level and visualizing it through heatmaps or genome maps.

Tools and Resources for Virulence Prediction

A number of tools and databases make virulence prediction accessible to the scientific community:

• VFanalyzer – For identifying virulence genes based on VFDB.

• PathoFact – Predicts virulence, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and toxin genes from metagenomic data.

• Pangenome-based models – Identify virulence-associated gene clusters across strains.

• Machine learning models – Use features like GC content, codon usage bias, or protein domains to predict pathogenicity.

Emerging tools now integrate multi-omic data—including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—to understand virulence in a systems biology framework.

Applications in the Real World

Virulence prediction has major implications across public health and research sectors:

• Epidemic preparedness: Early identification of virulent strains in outbreak samples.

• AMR surveillance: Linking virulence profiles with antibiotic resistance determinants.

• Environmental monitoring: Predicting pathogenic potential of soil or waterborne microbes.

• Clinical diagnostics: Supporting personalized treatment through pathogen profiling.

For instance, integrating virulence prediction pipelines into national surveillance networks could enable faster risk assessment and response to infectious outbreaks.

The Road Ahead

As machine learning and genomics advance, virulence prediction will evolve from simple gene-based detection to dynamic, context-aware models that account for host–pathogen interactions, environmental signals, and evolutionary adaptation.

Future tools may predict not just if a strain is virulent, but under what conditions it expresses that virulence—bridging the gap between genotype and phenotype.

In Summary

Virulence prediction is redefining how we understand and anticipate infectious diseases. By coupling genomic insights with computational intelligence, researchers can identify potential threats earlier, design smarter interventions, and ultimately, strengthen our preparedness against emerging pathogens.

Title: Comparison of Short Read De Novo Alignment Algorithms 

Author: Nikhil Gopal

Address of the bookmark: http://biochem218.stanford.edu/Projects%202011/Gopal%202011.pdf

Source:

http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/news/2014/04/deadly-human-pathogen-cryptococcus-fully-sequenced

Paper:

http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pgen.1004292