Computational Biology in Colombia

PLoS Computational Biology: Computational Biology in Colombia

High-throughput techniques are somewhat restricted in developing countries. However, computational resources have evolved in recent years to become available to the general public, with greater ability to solve intense computational problems at low cost. Therefore, the vast amount of information that is currently being generated and the need for finding the underpinnings of several issues in biology, have been the impetus of the computational biology area in Latin America. Colombia is no exception, as its rich genetic diversity has convened the attention of several institutions, including both governmental and academic departments, to find how, where, and when these resources could be employed to its benefit. In this review, we introduce the efforts being made throughout the country to spread the word and establish a strong network from a mid- and long-term perspective.

In Colombia, computational biology is just starting to be known as a field of research in its own right. Until now, mainly chemists and biologists have used bioinformatics as a tool to try to solve their particular research problems. We start by reviewing the work of some research groups and their projects. Next, we identify the driving forces of computational research and the problems to be faced in the future. This review is not exhaustive and we apologize for any groups that were not mentioned or acknowledged.

Restrepo S, Pinzón A, Rodríguez-R LM, Sierra R, Grajales A, et al. (2009) Computational Biology in Colombia. PLoS Comput Biol 5(10): e1000535. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000535

http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.1000535