Encyclopedia of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. This item is unavailable.Encyclopedia of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB) combine elements of computer science, information technology, mathematics, statistics, and biotechnology, providing the methodology and in silico solutions to mine biological data and processes, for knowledge discovery.

In the era of molecular diagnostics, targeted drug design, translational medicine and Big Data for personalized medicine, computational methods for data analysis are essential tools for biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, pharmacology, biomedical and computer science, as well as mathematics and statistics. New areas are emerging, and relatively isolated fields are becoming current hot research areas in BCB, such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantitative Biology, Computational Vaccinology, Epidemiology and Infection Diffusion, Synthetic Biology, and Phenomics. The role of BCB in characterizing SARS-CoV-2 variants and facing the COVID-19 pandemic is just one example of how these tools can help us better prepare for such future events.

This Encyclopedia comprises three sections, covering Methods, Topics, and Applications. The methodologies and algorithms underpinning BCB are described in the Methods section; Topics covers traditional areas such as phylogeny, as well as more recent areas such as translational bioinformatics, cheminformatics and environmental informatics; Applications provides guidance for commonly asked “how to” questions.

Navigating the maze of confusing jargon and the plethora of software tools is often confronting for students and researchers alike. This comprehensive and unique resource provides up-to-date theory and application content to address molecular data analysis requirements, with precise definitions of terminology and lucid explanations by field experts.

• Revised and expanded, this new edition spans basics to cutting-edge methodologies, with chapters authored by leaders in the field
• Serves an audience with diverse backgrounds, combining elements of computer science, information technology, mathematics, statistics, and biotechnology, providing the methodology and in silico solutions to mine biological data and processes for knowledge discovery
• Provides succinct definitions of terms, possibly for the first time in some cases, an invaluable tool to navigate the complexity of the field
• New topics include areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantitative Biology, Computational Vaccinology, Epidemiology and Infection Diffusion, Synthetic Biology, and Phenomics
• Focused chapters highlight the knowledge and tools developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Shoba Ranganathan is an Honorary Professor of Bioinformatics in Applied Biosciences, Macquarie University. She was the first Chair of Bioinformatics in Australia (2004-22). She has held research and academic positions in India, USA, Singapore and Australia as well as a consultancy in industry. Shoba's research addresses several key areas of bioinformatics to understand biological systems using computational approaches. Her group has achieved both experience and expertise in different aspects of computational biology, ranging from metabolites and small molecules to biochemical networks, pathway analysis and computational systems biology. She has authored as well as edited several books and contributed several articles to the 1st edition of this Encyclopedia. She was awarded the 2023 Outstanding Contributions to the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) Award. She is an Honorary Senior Fellow of the Australian Society for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology since 2018 and an ISCB Fellow since 2023.

Mario Cannataro is Full Professor of Computer Engineering and Bioinformatics at the University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, Italy. He directs the Data Analytics Research Center and chairs the Bioinformatics Laboratory, leading interdisciplinary research at the interface of computing and life sciences. His research interests include bioinformatics, medical informatics, artificial intelligence, data analytics, sentiment analysis, and parallel and distributed computing. Professor Cannataro is actively involved in the international bioinformatics community through editorial, conference, and professional service activities, including participation in scientific committees, workshop organization, and journal editorial boards. He has contributed extensively to research and innovation in computational biology and health informatics and has authored numerous scholarly publications and books. He also serves on regional and national bodies related to bioinformatics, telemedicine, medical informatics, and research ethics, supporting collaboration and advancement across these fields.

Mohammad Asif Khan is a Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Doha for Science and Technology, Qatar. He earned his PhD from the National University of Singapore before joining Johns Hopkins University (JHU), USA, as a faculty member. He later became part of a pioneering JHU team to establish a collaboration with Perdana University (PU) in Malaysia, where he served as the Founding Dean of the School of Data Sciences and Founding Director of the Centre for Bioinformatics. Dr. Khan was also a visiting Professor at Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, through Turkey’s “International Fellowship for Outstanding Researchers.” He is currently the President of the Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network and chairs the executive board of the Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education, and Training. His research focuses on biological data warehousing and bioinformatics applications in virus study, immune responses, vaccines, drug design, and disease biomarkers.