Computational biology in Costa Rica: the role of a small country in the global context of bioinformatics.

Abstract

The successful development of high throughput methods for DNA sequencing, transcriptomics, proteomics, and other –omics, has contributed to the emergence of novel possibilities for the examination of complex biological systems through computational analysis. These fields have witnessed unprecedented advances in high income countries. Nevertheless, the role of other nations needs to be examined in order to delineate their contribution within the global context of bioinformatics. Previous articles have focused on the expansion of Computational Biology in Brazil and Mexico [1],[2], two of the largest Latin American countries, and which have shown political commitment to foster their scientific development. Costa Rica is a small Central American country with a population of 4 million, with its territory 164 and 38 times smaller than Brazil and Mexico, respectively. Thus, it is interesting to visualize the possibilities and challenges of this low-income country in the context of the global bioinformatics endeavor. (For author information, see Box 1.) Box 1. Author Biographies Edgardo Moreno (EM), Bruno Lomone (BL), and Jose-Maria Gutierrez (JMG) received their B.Sc. degrees in Microbiology and Clinical Chemistry at the University of Costa Rica. They obtained their Ph.D.s at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (EM), the University of Goteborg, Sweden (BL), and Oklahoma State University (JMG). Besides their formal training, the three of them have obtained fellowships to perform research in laboratories in Brazil, Mexico, France, Germany, and the United States, maintaining strong collaborations with valuable foreign research groups. Upon their return to Costa Rica, they were appointed to the staffs of the School of Veterinary Medicine, National University (EM), and the Clodomiro Picado Institute, School of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica (BL and JMG), where they have been teaching Immunology, Cell Biology, Cell Pathology, and Biochemistry, at both graduate and undergraduate levels. EM's main research interests have been in the understanding the cross-talk between Brucella intracellular pathogens and their animal host cell and the host adaptation and evolution of this endoparasitic bacterium. BL has investigated the structural and functional characteristics of snake venom toxins, contributing to the identification of the molecular regions responsible for the disruption of muscle cell plasma membrane. His interests also include the immunochemical characterization of snake venom components, modeling, and the proteomic analysis of venoms from Central American snakes. JMG's interests have focused mostly on the experimental pathology of snakebite envenomation and regeneration of tissues after snake venom-induced damage. He has also been devoted to the improvement of the technology for antivenom production at the local and global levels, participating in a WHO-lead initiative to improve antivenom production worldwide. EM, BL, and JMG have actively collaborated together over many years, and have participated in a number of regional projects promoting long-lasting academic and scientific alliances between research groups and institutions from Central America and Sweden, in what is currently known as the NeTropica network. They have also contributed to the consolidation of local and regional graduate programs based in Costa Rican public universities. In addition to their engagement in university activities, the three of them are members of the National Academy of Sciences of Costa Rica.