In this episode of the Micro Binfie Podcast, hosts Dr. Andrew Page and Dr. Lee Katz delve into the fascinating world of hash databases and their application in cgMLST (core genome Multilocus Sequence Typing) for microbial bioinformatics. The discussion begins with the challenges faced by bioinformaticians due to siloed MLST databases across the globe, which hinder synchronization and effective genomic surveillance. To address these issues, the concept of using hash databases for allele identification is introduced. Hashing allows for the creation of unique identifiers for genetic sequences, en ..read more

We discuss GAMBIT, software for accurately classifying bacteria and eukaryotes using a targeted k-mer based approach. GAMBIT software: https://github.com/gambit-suite/gambit GAMBIT suite: https://github.com/gambit-suite GAMBIT (Genomic Approximation Method for Bacterial Identification and Tracking): A methodology to rapidly leverage whole genome sequencing of bacterial isolates for clinical identification. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277575 TheiaEuk: a species-agnostic bioinformatics workflow for fungal genomic characterization https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/artic ..read more

In this episode, Andrew Page and Lee Katz continue their conversation with Titus Brown, diving deeper into his work on k-mers, Sourmash, and open source software development: Topics discussed: K-mers for analyzing sequencing data, and how Sourmash builds on MinHash How Sourmash handles k-mers for metagenomic comparisons vs. MASH The modhash and bottom sketch approaches used in Sourmash Dealing with sequencing errors and noise in k-mer data Sourmash as a reference-based method, and applications for metagenomics Titus' focus on building reusable libraries and APIs vs one-off tools Recruiting col ..read more

In this final episode with Titus Brown, the conversation focuses on his work scaling metagenomic search with Sourmash: An overview of what Sourmash does - sketching and comparing large k-mer datasets How the sampling approach enables analyses like containment estimation Exciting capabilities of the Branchwater tool for multi-threaded real-time SRA search Scaling to search across millions of metagenomes in seconds with WebAssembly Potential public health applications for tracking and sourcing pathogens Important caveats around resolution limits and need for follow-up analyses Ongoing work to ch ..read more

In this episode, Andrew Page and Lee Katz continue their chat with Titus Brown, focusing on taxonomy assignment in metagenomics: Topics discussed: Dealing with contamination and low quality genomes in reference databases Sourmash as a versatile search tool, not a curated database The need for high confidence in taxonomic assignment in public health Most microbial assignment tools have low specificity or sensitivity Possible ways to achieve perfect species classification (in theory) The challenges around defining species based on small genomic differences Interesting cryptography concept of 'un ..read more

Andrew, Nabil, and Lee react to the bioinformatics and the science overall in the 1993 film Jurassic Park. We looked at these YouTube clips: * https://youtu.be/mDTaykXudVI?si=I5aiUdBGStpIKHVC * https://youtu.be/RLz5Api676Y?si=D6nps33O42Fmk4Ac * https://youtu.be/0Nz8YrCC9X8?si=KNwkeFoS6Bu4LOpv * https://youtu.be/dxIPcbmo1_U?si=TOBw5AONYVCW0JzV * https://youtu.be/m1lc8GwBKFE?si=rj7Oiq51l2_dB6ro More information on the secret tattoo here: https://underunderstood.com/podcast/episode/jeff-goldblums-secret-tattoo-jurassic-park-ian-malcolm ..read more

In this episode of the Micro Binfie Podcast, Andrew Page and Lee Katz interview Titus Brown about his journey from studying math and physics as an undergrad to becoming a bioinformatician focusing on metagenomics and software development. Topics discussed: Titus' background in math, physics, digital evolution research, and developmental biology His transition into bioinformatics to analyze the influx of genomic data in the 1990s Developing early tools for comparative genomics and sequence analysis The philosophy of creating usable software with good documentation Work on transcriptomics, metag ..read more

The podcast discusses an article co-authored by Andrew Page, examining the use of GPT-4 for research publication. The conversation focuses on the authorship of articles generated by GPT-4 and the implications for academic publishing. Authorship and Ethics: Andrew discusses the question of authorship when AI-generated content is involved in research articles. He explores the ethical implications and potential biases associated with AI-assisted writing, such as the omission of minority figures and novel discoveries. He emphasizes the importance of transparency when using AI and its potential to ..read more

We continue our conversation with Wytamma Wirth about write-the and all things AI. It starts with discussing the usage of language models, specifically ChatGPT, in writing boilerplate code, and how it can assist in generating code snippets, unit tests, and even documentation strings. The participants also explore the potential of incorporating it into code editors to make coding more efficient and less error-prone. The conversation then shifts to discuss the generation of research papers, specifically software announcements, by leveraging code documentation. The participants believe ChatGPT co ..read more

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of automated code documentation and conversion using ChatGPT through the write-the software developed by Dr Wytamma Wirth from The University of Melbourne. Our guest, an experienced software engineer, takes us on a journey through the challenges and nuances of writing code documentation and the role AI can play in easing this process. We explore the intersection of ChatGPT's capabilities with Write the Docs, a documentation system widely used by developers. From highlighting ChatGPT's ability to understand and generate code snippets, to demonstratin ..read more