Fields Of Biological Sciences Research Articles

BounTI (boundary-preserving threshold iteration): A user-friendly tool for automatic hard tissue segmentation.

X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) images are widely used in various fields of natural, physical, and biological sciences. 3D reconstruction of the images involves segmentation of the structures of interest. Manual segmentation has been widely used in the field of biological sciences for complex structures composed of several sub-parts and can be a time-consuming process. Many tools have been developed to automate the segmentation process, all with various limitations and advantages, however, multipart segmentation remains a largely manual process. The aim of this study was to develop an open-access and user-friendly tool for the automatic segmentation of calcified tissues, specifically focusing on craniofacial bones. Here we describe BounTI, a novel segmentation algorithm which preserves boundaries between separate segments through iterative thresholding. This study outlines the working principles behind this algorithm, investigates the effect of several input parameters on its outcome, and then tests its versatility on CT images of the craniofacial system from different species (e.g. a snake, a lizard, an amphibian, a mouse and a human skull) with various scan qualities. The case studies demonstrate that this algorithm can be effectively used to segment the craniofacial system of a range of species automatically. High-resolution microCT images resulted in more accurate boundary-preserved segmentation, nonetheless significantly lower-quality clinical images could still be segmented using the proposed algorithm. Methods for manual intervention are included in this tool when the scan quality is insufficient to achieve the desired segmentation results. While the focus here was on the craniofacial system, BounTI can be used to automatically segment any hard tissue. The tool presented here is available as an Avizo/Amira add-on, a stand-alone Windows executable, and a Python library. We believe this accessible and user-friendly segmentation tool can benefit the wider anatomical community.

MiRNA, siRNA, and lncRNA: Recent Development of Bioinformatics Tools and Databases in Support of Combating Different Diseases

Abstract: Today, the bioinformatics tool and database development are one of the most significant research areas in computational biology. Computational biologists are developing diverse bioinformatics tools and databases in the various fields of biological science. Nowadays, several non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) have been studied extensively, which act as a mediator of the regulation of gene expression. ncRNA is a functional RNA molecule that is transcribed from the mammalian genome. It also controls the disease regulation pathway. Based on the size, ncRNA can be classified into three categories such as small ncRNA (~18–30 nt), medium ncRNA (~30–200 nt), and long ncRNA (from 200 nt to several hundred kb). The miRNA and siRNAs are two types of ncRNA. Various bioinformatics tools and databases have recently been developed to understand the different ncRNAs (miRNAs, siRNAs, and lncRNAs) disease association. We have illustrated different bioinformatics resources, such as in silico tools and databases, currently available for researching miRNAs, siRNAs, and lncRNAs. Some bioinformatics- based miRNA tools are miRbase, miRecords, miRCancer, miRSystem, miRGator, miRNEST, mirtronPred and miRIAD, etc. Bioinformatics-based siRNA tools are siPRED, siDRM, sIR, siDirect 2.0. Bioinformatics-based lncRNAs tools are lncRNAdb v2, lncRNAtor, LncDisease, iLoc-lncRNA, etc. These tools and databases benefit molecular biologists, biomedical researchers, and computational biologists.

Exploring the innovative talents training mode in new era

Innovation is an important way to promote economic development and social progress. Recent years have seen rapid development of biological sciences. In response to social demands and the needs for developing an innovative country, fostering innovative talents in the field of biosciences has become a significant initiative supported by national policies and the needs from talent market. Taking the innovative talent training mode implemented by Zhejiang Normal University in the field of biological sciences as an example, this paper comprehensively introduces several key aspects of the mode. This includes establishing a mentorship system as the foundation, carrying out curriculum reform through project competitions and practical platforms, and promoting synergy among industry, academia, and research in talent training. This training mode has achieved positive results in practice, promoting the training of outstanding innovative talents in biological science majors, and may facilitate the reform of talent training in similar majors.

Does open identity of peer reviewers positively relate to citations?

Referees play an essential role in the peer review process, significantly contributing to improving the quality of scholarly publications. In the context that the Open Science movement is gaining increasing attention and support, the open identity of peer reviewers has become a crucial aspect requiring more relevant research. To enhance the comprehension of the relatively unexplored phenomenon of publishing reviewer identities, this study investigates how such identification and the academic performance of reviewers identified in the acknowledgements of articles relate to these articles’ citations. Our sample comprises 1,120 articles within the field of Biological Sciences and published in Nature between 2016 and 2020. The publication and citation history for 787 identified reviewers were obtained from Scopus to measure their academic performance. Based on Negative Binomial Regression results, we found that the presence of at least one reviewer's identity is not statistically associated with citations, whereas articles with all reviewers’ identities published tend to receive fewer citations. However, our dataset supports a significant positive correlation between the academic performance of recognised reviewers and the citation impact of the articles they reviewed. These findings have significant implications for the scholarly community and publication policies.

Ecotoxicology At School: A Proposal For Insertion Into Practical Science Classes

The complexity of environmental effects, caused by the diversity of chemical compounds interacting with the biota, brings to light the urgency of an emancipating education focused on integral human formation. In this sense, there is a concern about appropriately working with themes relevant to environmental education for students in the early years of primary education. Thus, educators in the field of biological sciences are allowed to approach topics related to biodiversity, to educate for citizenship, in the perspective that students recognize themselves as part of the environment. Problem-Based Learning - PBL involves questioning based on the observation of phenomena, hypothesis testing, and analysis of results, being an ally of science, considering that the student is the protagonist in the different stages of knowledge construction. Based on this methodology, auxiliary materials were prepared for use in the classroom, guided by concepts and playfulness. To contextualize the phenomena involved in the study of ecotoxicology, a survey was carried out of the contents and abilities of the Brazilian National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC, as per the acronym in Portuguese), listing the potentials to be examined together with the concepts of ecotoxicology. For these, bioassay protocols were chosen for the elaboration of practical activities that exemplify the thought phenomenon. Two skills were selected for the elaboration of stories that describe problematization, the accomplishment of the experimental activity, and the presentation of the results of the experiments throughout the character’s daily life. The area’s theoretical and practical framework involves using technical terms, which can compromise students’ interest and learning. To remedy the difficulty with the concepts, a mini dictionary was created with definitions and optimization of technical terms to simplify the research process and the student’s understanding.

Polymerase chain reaction: a powerful analytical tool in the field of food safety

Abstract The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the canonical DNA analysis technique that has enabled the understanding of the complexity of organisms and significantly advanced achievements in the field of biological sciences. Today, the method is still widely used in basic science research, but PCR-based diagnostics are becoming increasingly important in industries such as food and agriculture. This method provides high sensitivity because it requires trace amounts of template DNA to generate enough copies for detection. Using primers specific to the DNA sequence ensures the high specificity of the test. The advantages of the method are time – and cost-effectiveness and reproducibility. PCR-based techniques have found favor in areas where food traceability is important, whether from an economic, legal, health, or religious-cultural point of view. This review outlines the most important aspects in which the PCR method has been successfully applied, namely in the protection of human health by enabling the identification of foodborne pathogens or allergens. Furthermore, the use of PCR in the so-called green criminology, a branch that deals with tracking illegal practices such as food adulteration, compliance with the labeling rules, and detection of food products containing GMO material or other undeclared food ingredients, was also described.

Future Potential of Quantum Computing and Simulations in Biological Science.

The review article presents the recent progress in quantum computing and simulation within the field of biological sciences. The article is designed mainly into two portions: quantum computing and quantum simulation. In the first part, significant aspects of quantum computing was illustrated, such as quantum hardware, quantum RAM and big data, modern quantum processors, qubit, superposition effect in quantum computation, quantum interference,quantum entanglement, and quantum logic gates. Simultaneously, in the second part, vital features of the quantum simulation was illustrated, such as the quantum simulator, algorithms used in quantum simulations, and the use of quantum simulation in biological science. Finally, the review provides exceptional views to future researchers about different aspects of quantum simulation in biological science.

PLURIPOTENCY AND PERSPECTIVES OF CELL TECHNOLOGIES

Biology of pluripotency is a modern field of biological science, and at the same time a tool for modeling human morphogenesis in vitro. Pluripotency is the property of cells to self-renew and differentiate into all types of cells of an adult organism, which appears in early embryogenesis in mammals. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have limitless potential in regenerative and translational medicine, which open up perspectives for solving multiple diseases, including hereditary ones. This review describes the characteristics and uniqueness of PSCs, modeling of early human morphogenesis in vitro in blastocyst-like structures and gastruloids, modeling of organogenesis in organoids. Next, we considered the use of PSCs in regenerative medicine with their risks of capability to oncogenicity and immunogenicity in implication of a cell replacement therapy. However, therapeutic approaches using PSCs are still in their infancy and need to be deeply scrutinized.

I. L. Serbinov: milifaceted personality of a scientist

The article is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the outstanding Ukrainian scientist Ivan Lvovich Serbinov (1872–1925). The life and activity of the researcher took place during a rather difficult time. It includes several revolutions, the First World and civil wars, fundamental changes in social and political spheres. But despite all the difficulties, this period was also marked by significant scientific achievements, emerging a large number of outstanding scientists, in particular, in the field of biology. Having studied the scientific heritage of the investigator, it is possible to prove the exceptional versatility of his activity. I. L. Serbinov worked in the field of mycology, microbiology, phytopathology, studied insect and fish diseases. He wrote more than 100 works and twice as many essays and abstracts dedicated to phytopathology. However, the biggest breakthrough in science is his research on bacterial plant diseases. Serbinov developed a method of studying plant bacteriosis; described and studied causative agents of diseases on potatoes, beets and other garden plants, fruit trees and grapes; discovered new species of bacteria parasitic on plants. Formulated by Serbinov’s doctrine on mixed infection is a valuable contribution to the theoretical and practical achievements in microbiology. In addition to the research field, the authors emphasize the lecturing and popularizing activities of the scientist. The main directions of research in various periods of Serbinov’s life such as St. Petersburg, Crimea and Odesa are also analyzed. It is noted that the scientist’s priority in many fields of biological science was recognized not only by his contemporaries – A. A. Yachevsky, M. S. Voronin, A. S. Bondartsev, but also the following generations of researchers, among which were M. V. Horlenko, K. H. Beltyukova, R. I. Hvozdyak etc.

Quick and easy method for extraction and purification of Pfu-Sso7d, a high processivity DNA polymerase

The polymerase chain reaction is an extensively used technique with numerous applications in the field of biological sciences. In addition to naturally occurring DNA polymerases with varying processivity and fidelity, genetically engineered recombinant DNA polymerases are also used in PCR. The Pfu-Sso7d, a fusion DNA polymerase, is obtained by the fusion of Sso7d, a small DNA binding protein, to the polymerase domain of the Pfu DNA polymerase. Pfu-Sso7d is known for its high processivity, efficiency, and fidelity. Expensive commercial variants of Pfu-Sso7d are sold under various trade names. Here, we report a quick, cost and time-efficient purification protocol and an optimized buffer system for Pfu-Sso7d. We evaluated precipitation efficiencies of varying concentrations of ethanol and acetone and compared the activities of the precipitated enzyme. Although both the solvents efficiently precipitated Pfu-Sso7d, acetone showed better precipitation efficiency. Purified Pfu-Sso7d showed excellent activity in the PCR of templates with varying lengths and GC contents. We also report a buffer system that works with Pfu-Sso7d as efficiently as commercially available buffers. This quick and efficient purification scheme and buffer system will provide researchers cost-efficient access to fusion polymerase.

And nature, a complex relationship

Over the course of its history, design has never lost sight of nature as a term of comparison, sometimes taking from it, sometimes moving away from it. To investigate the complex relationship between the two terms, design and nature, we cannot ignore the evolution of man and how it has been profoundly influenced by technological innovation, which is the most evident result of science. Tracing an evolutionary line of design thinking, a double trajectory can be registered: on the one hand the tension towards progress and the myth of the machine, on the other hand the idea of a harmonious co-evolution with nature and the need to be reconnected with it. Besides, it is progress that allows mankind to thoroughly investigate natural mechanisms and make them their own. Contemporary design, autonomous but at the same time increasingly interdisciplinary, has got blurred boundaries which intersect with the most advanced fields of biological sciences. This evolution has opened up a whole new field of investigation that multiplies the opportunities of innovation, especially from a sustainability-oriented point of view. Today the dramatic breaking of the balance between man and nature has turned into the concept of permanent emergency, which is now matter of greatest interest for design, a design that attempts to react, mend, adapt to change in an authentically resilient way.

Metrological Support of Nucleic Acid Sequence Analysis

Metrological support for the process of molecular genetic identification is proposed. An establishment of a nucleotide sequence is the main objective of the DNA/RNA analysis. Such nucleotide sequence provides key information about the role and function of nucleic acids in living systems, as well as the origin of biological objects during molecular genetic identification. The molecular genetic identification is based on the modern methods of studying DNA sequences, which are inherited by the living organisms from generation to generation. In some cases, comparison of DNA sequences is required to establish the authenticity of biological objects, as well as determine biological affiliation or kinship with other biological objects. The problems of metrological support of molecular genetic identification by Sanger DNA sequencing using fluorescent-labeled reaction terminators and capillary electrophoresis are considered. Methods and means of metrological support of the DNA/RNA analysis were developed, which include the determination of a nucleotide as a nucleic acid monomer, the use of a nucleotide sequence of nucleic acids used in certified methods and procedures, the use of a genetic analyzer as a measurement tool along with related auxiliary equipment, as well as the use of a standard sample of a fragment of human mitochondrial DNA has been developed and approved. A Nanofor 05 domestic genome analyzer was tested. The following two procedures were developed and certified: for measuring the nucleotide sequence of the section of the control region of mitochondrial DNA of fish (sturgeon and paddlefish families) by Sanger sequencing, and for measuring the nucleotide sequence of the 5' region of the COI gene of the mitochondrial DNA of aquatic biological resources by Sanger sequencing. Both measurement procedures are based on the use of fluorescent-labeled reaction terminators and capillary electrophoresis. The results are important for use in the DNA studies in the field of biological sciences, food industry, biotechnology, and DNA forensics.

Current Bioinformatics Tools to Optimize CRISPR/Cas9 Experiments to Reduce Off-Target Effects.

The CRISPR-Cas system has evolved into a cutting-edge technology that has transformed the field of biological sciences through precise genetic manipulation. CRISPR/Cas9 nuclease is evolving into a revolutionizing method to edit any gene of any species with desirable outcomes. The swift advancement of CRISPR-Cas technology is reflected in an ever-expanding ecosystem of bioinformatics tools designed to make CRISPR/Cas9 experiments easier. To assist researchers with efficient guide RNA designs with fewer off-target effects, nuclease target site selection, and experimental validation, bioinformaticians have built and developed a comprehensive set of tools. In this article, we will review the various computational tools available for the assessment of off-target effects, as well as the quantification of nuclease activity and specificity, including web-based search tools and experimental methods, and we will describe how these tools can be optimized for gene knock-out (KO) and gene knock-in (KI) for model organisms. We also discuss future directions in precision genome editing and its applications, as well as challenges in target selection, particularly in predicting off-target effects.

Correlative microscopy and block-face imaging (CoMBI): a 3D imaging method with wide applicability in the field of biological science.

Correlative microscopy and block-face imaging (CoMBI) is an imaging method, which is characterized by the ability to obtain both serial block-face images as a 3-dimentional (3D) dataset and sections for 2-dimentional (2D) light microscopic analysis. These 3D and 2D morphological data can be correlated with each other to facilitate data interpretation. CoMBI is an easy-to-install and low-cost 3D imaging method since its system can be assembled by the researcher using a regular microtome, consumer digital camera, and some self-made devices, and its installation and instruction manuals are open-source. After the first release of CoMBI method from our laboratory, CoMBI systems have been installed in more than a dozen laboratories and are used for 3D analysis of various biological specimens. Typical application of CoMBI is 3D anatomical analysis using the natural color and contrast of the specimen. We have been using CoMBI for analyzing human brain to obtain the fine 3D anatomy as a reference to determine the causes of neurological diseases and to improve the effectiveness of surgery. Recently, we have been using CoMBI for detecting the colors of chromogens, which are used for labeling specific molecules. Mouse embryos colored with X-gal, a conventional chromogen for detecting LacZ products, were imaged using CoMBI, and the 3D distribution of X-gal was successfully visualized. Thus, CoMBI can now be used for many purposes, including 3D anatomical analysis, 2D microscopy using sections, and 3D distribution of specific molecules. These suggest that CoMBI should be more widely used in the field of biological research.

RASCON: Future of Rehabilitation and Allied Health Sciences in Pakistan

Healthcare is a crucial aspect in our society. With the improvement in technology and education, more people are opting for this profession. In recent decades, rehabilitation, allied health sciences and emerging fields in biological sciences have received considerable attention at both international and national platforms. The Superior University has the largest and highly qualified faculty in the key disciplines of Rehabilitation & Allied Health Sciences. In Current Senior, Faculty of Allied Health has Organized RASCON, the first ever international conference, on 9th-11th December 2022 under the theme “Interdisciplinary approaches to create socio-economic impact through research, innovation and commercialization for healthcare professionals and scientists.” The conference has attributed to augmentation and expansion of research, education and commercialization in these domains. The main objective of this conference is to bring together the health care professionals, Allied Health care professionals, Rehabilitation specialists, Physical Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Clinical Psychologists, Clinical Nutritionists, Occupational Therapists, Leading scientists, Researchers, Educationists and allied health care professionals to exchange interdisciplinary approaches to contribute to socio-economic impact to achieve SDGs. It has been planned to provide an intercontinental platform for the sharing of scientific knowledge and hands on training sessions. Similar to other conferences, while the major audience included researchers around the globe, it specifically provided a research knowledge sharing venture for the students, which are going to be our future researchers In this regard, various workshops (26) were conducted on 9th December in collaboration with different hospitals and industries. The main objective of these workshops was to provide hands on training and facilitate students to grab emerging technologies relating to their respective fields. On 10 and 11 December, around 17 International and 56 National keynote speakers attended the conference to present their latest research in their specialized fields. . Our global speakers included professors from USA, Canada, Malaysia, Uk, Iran, China, Germany, Sri Lanka, Australia, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Thailand and South Korea. Furthermore, participants of this conference also presented scientific posters highlighting the outcomes of their recent projects. Additionally, several talk sessions were also conducted to answer the queries of the students and other participants. This conference was successfully held with the collaboration of National/Multinational industries including food industries, academic institutes and healthcare sectors. The prime knowledge products of RASCON 22 were: research articles, patents, books, research protocols, manuals, policies, advanced technologies in therapeutics, outreach and assessment resources, blogs on socio-economic impacts of research, and finally the entrepreneurial implications of research. Of all the planned undertakings, the greatest impact was seen in societal projects, followed by manuals, advanced therapeutic technologies, blogs, policies and protocols, in ascending order. The manuals provided information and necessary steps for improvements in physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Some key protocols included posture control, communication and swallowing management along with a stepwise diagnosis protocol for dyslexia – a learning disability that has affected more than 700 million people worldwide and 12 million children in Pakistan alone. Correspondingly, the advanced therapeutic technologies included robotic rehabilitation options in the fields of orthotics, cochlear implantation and prosthetics. Major polices focused on the investment and management so as to build a high-quality workforces and services for improving rehabilitation combined with a feedback system via data collection for continual improvement. All of these would ultimately have a strong societal impact in the form of community-based rehabilitation culminating in the better quality of life. Overall it was a fantastic conference, we are grateful to have of thoughtful and effective organization.” The level of expertise and knowledge of the presenters are excellent. In addition, I appreciate their positive attitudes, willingness to explain concepts, clarity of visual aids and handouts, and opportunities to ask questions. The insights I have gained from this one conference far exceed any other conference I have attended to date. Wonderful, insightful, well presented! Excellent sessions, challenging and thought-provoking. I am always impressed with the commitment and efficiency of those who plan this conference.” “I really enjoyed my time at the conference. I am looking forward to next year's conference.”

Antifungal activity of green synthesized selenium nanoparticles and their effect on physiological, biochemical, and antioxidant defense system of mango under mango malformation disease.

Plant extract-based green synthesis of nanoparticles is an emerging class of nanotechnology that has revolutionized the entire field of biological sciences. Green synthesized nanoparticles are used as super-growth promoters and antifungal agents. In this study, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized using Melia azedarach leaves extract as the main reducing and stabilizing agent and characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The green synthesized SeNPs were exogenously applied on Mangifera indica infected with mango malformation disease. The SeNPs at a concentration of 30 μg/mL were found to be the best concentration which enhanced the physiological (chlorophyll and membrane stability index), and biochemical (proline and soluble sugar) parameters. The antioxidant defense system was also explored, and it was reported that green synthesized SeNPs significantly reduced the biotic stress by enhancing enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities. In vitro antifungal activity of SeNPs reported that 300 μg/mL concentration inhibited the Fusarium mangiferae the most. This study is considered the first biocompatible approach to evaluate the potential of green synthesized SeNPs to improve the health of mango malformation-infected plants and effective management strategy to inhibit the growth of F. mangifera.

Cell-loaded hydrogel microspheres based on droplet microfluidics: a review

Droplet microfluidics technology offers refined control over the flows of multiple fluids in micro/nano-scale, enabling fabrication of micro/nano-droplets with precisely adjustable structures and compositions in a high-throughput manner. With the combination of proper hydrogel materials and preparation methods, single or multiple cells can be efficiently encapsulated into hydrogels to produce cell-loaded hydrogel microspheres. The cell-loaded hydrogel microspheres can provide a three-dimensional, relatively independent and controllable microenvironment for cell proliferation and differentiation, which is of great value for three-dimensional cell culture, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, stem cell research, single cell study and many other biological science fields. In this review, the preparation methods of cell-loaded hydrogel microspheres based on droplet microfluidics and its applications in biomedical field are summarized and future prospects are proposed.

Metabolomics and molecular networking approach for exploring the anti-diabetic activity of medicinal plants.

Metabolomics and molecular networking approaches have expanded rapidly in the field of biological sciences and involve the systematic identification, visualization, and high-throughput characterization of bioactive metabolites in natural products using sophisticated mass spectrometry-based techniques. The popularity of natural products in pharmaceutical therapies has been influenced by medicinal plants with a long history of ethnobotany and a vast collection of bioactive compounds. Here, we selected four medicinal plants Cleistocalyx operculatus, Terminalia chebula, Ficus lacor, and Ficus semicordata, the biochemical characteristics of which remain unclear owing to the inherent complexity of their plant metabolites. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of these aforementioned plant extracts in inhibiting the enzymatic activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively, followed by the annotation of secondary metabolites. The methanol extract of Ficus semicordata exhibited the highest α-amylase inhibition with an IC50 of 46.8 ± 1.8 μg mL-1, whereas the water fraction of Terminalia chebula fruits demonstrated the most significant α-glucosidase inhibition with an IC50 value of 1.07 ± 0.01 μg mL-1. The metabolic profiling of plant extracts was analyzed through Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS) of the active fractions, resulting in the annotation of 32 secondary metabolites. Furthermore, we applied the Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) platform to evaluate the MS/MS data of Terminalia chebula (bark), revealing that there were 205 and 160 individual ion species observed as nodes in the methanol and ethyl acetate fractions, respectively. Twenty-two metabolites were tentatively identified from the network map, of which 11 compounds were unidentified during manual annotation.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND STOCHASTIC OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHMS FOR THE CHAOTIC DATASETS

Almost every natural process is stochastic due to the basic consequences of nature’s existence and the dynamical behavior of each process that is not stationary but evolves with the passage of time. These stochastic processes not only exist and appear in the fields of biological sciences but are also evident in industrial, agricultural and economical research datasets. Stochastic processes are challenging to model and to solve as well. The stochastic patterns when repeated result into random fractals and are very common in natural processes. These processes are usually simulated with the aid of smart computational and optimization tools. With the progress in the field of artificial intelligence, smart tools are developed that can model the stochastic processes by generalization and genetic optimization. Based on the basic theoretical description of the stochastic optimization algorithms, the stochastic learning tools, stochastic modeling, stochastic approximation and stochastic fractals, a comparative analysis is presented with the aid of the stochastic fractal search, multi-objective stochastic fractal search and pattern search algorithms.

From Sequence Analysis to Application

The field of biological sciences enumerates various important aspects of life forms, some of which remain mysterious to explain or validate. Though there has been a revolutionary advancement of tools and techniques to study different biological phenomena under laboratory conditions, there are significant limitations with implementing each concept in the laboratory. Sometimes, it is practically impossible to simulate the actual environmental conditions of living systems under in-vitro settings, or sometimes the requirements of life are discordant with various analytical techniques, or the study of complex evolutionary processes becomes technically difficult using wet-lab methods. Thus, these experimental challenges confine our boundary to explore the real world of biological systems, which may lead to the acquisition of knowledge with few lacunae. Bioinformatics as a discipline tries to fill those spaces to a major extent using in silico analysis and provides a deeper theoretical foundation and validation of existing biological principles. The importance and potential of bioinformatics have been witnessed in the pandemic times to fight against Covid-19. From developing new drugs and vaccines to crop improvement and space and environment studies, the field of bioinformatics has many prospects. This article aims to provide a bird’s-eye view of different applications and cutting-edge bioinformatics approaches to understand biological systems and the emerging need to integrate this course into the education framework.