COMBREX – Genomes, Computers and Experimentation in Biology: Sir Richard J. Roberts
Channel: Alter Lab
Date: 2013-04-16

April 13, 2011, Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute Distinguished Seminar, University of Utah.

https://alterlab.org/announcements/Roberts_2011_Seminar.pdf

Abstract: In the last few years DNA sequencing has become very inexpensive to a point where most single organism biological studies begin by sequencing its genome. While the sequencing is easy, the interpretation of that sequence is difficult. COMBREX is a new, international project to find the function of new genes in prokaryotic genomes. It involves bioinformatics and biochemical experimentation. The implementation offers excellent opportunities for students to become involved in some real scientific research and thereby encourage young students to become scientists.

In the talk I will describe the COMBREX project and place it into the larger context of the current needs of biology, both for the basic purposes of understanding life and also as a stepping stone to clinical applications in combating infectious diseases. Because individual aspects of the project are relatively inexpensive it provides an excellent opportunity for institutions with limited resources to participate in cutting edge science and perhaps even make some exciting discoveries.

Biography: Nobel Laureate, Physiology and Medicine, 1993 and Chief Scientific Officer, New England Biolabs