Bio Saga Blog - A Chronicle of Life Sciences & Informatics

Microbial Genomes Curator @ Computercraft Corporation--Maryland (US).  Submitted by Computercraft Corporation; posted on Saturday, March 17, 2012 RESPONSIBILITIES: Computercraft seeks a microbiologist to work with a team of software developers and biologists on microbial genome analysis including pan-genome, protein clusters, phylogenetic tree and more. This is a technically challenging position requiring experience in genome sequencing and annotation. A background in comparative genome analysis such as alignments and tree building is a plus. Our scientists work with genomic experts at the NIH's National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) to create and enhance a suite of databases and tools available to researchers worldwide. Teamwork interaction and excellent organizational skills are essential for this detail-oriented position, as is scientific problem-solving with a results-oriented focus. REQUIREMENTS: * PhD in molecular biology, microbiology, or related field * ...

Tyrannosaurus rex peptide sequences are more similar to modern-day birds than to reptiles, according to new research, providing added evidence for a relatively close evolutionary relationship between dinosaurs and birds. About a year ago, researchers from Harvard University and elsewhere first reported that they could tease minuscule amounts of protein from mastodon and T. rex bone samples that were up to 600,000 and 68 million-years-old, respectively, and analyze them by mass spectrometry. Now, members of the same team report using molecular phylogenetics to group mastodon and T. rex based on their collagen protein peptide sequences. These latest results , appearing in today’s issue of Science , suggest T. rex is more closely related to chickens and ostriches than to alligators and seem to confirm the long-held suspicion that dinosaurs and birds have a common ancestor. They also corroborate a relationship between mastodons and modern day elephants. for more