Computational biology is a relatively new field that has tremendous potential for things like drug discovery and disease control. On December 13 and 14, USF St. Petersburg will host the second symposium of the International Society for Computational Biology Regional Student Group, Southeast USA. Designed for both beginners and those well-versed in computational biology, the symposium will feature expert presentations on recent developments and future possibilities for this cutting-edge field.
Founded in 2017, this regional student group was created to provide students with access to research opportunities and connections in computational biology. The group includes researchers and students from USFSP, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the University of South Carolina.
The aim of computational biology is to better understand how things like proteins work, as well as which drugs interact with them to block or enhance their functions.
“Computational biology aids scientists with their work by analyzing data from molecular simulations,” said Dr. Leon Hardy, Lecturer in Mathematics at USFSP and one of the founding faculty representatives of the group. “There are a whole host of things you can investigate at the microscopic level.”
Equipped with terabytes of data, computational biologists use artificial intelligence to spot patterns in computer simulations that reveal how things interact at a molecular level. For example, by analyzing patterns in data, researchers are able to determine how certain proteins move. This research has led to breakthroughs in understanding about mosquito-borne illnesses such as malaria, Zika and yellow fever. The end goal is to use these insights to discover drugs that can address these diseases.
“Computational biology is one of those sciences that we need everywhere,” said Alan Mathon, a senior biology major and President of the Computational Biology Club at USFSP. “It allows us to see viruses before they become an issue.”
Students interested in computational biology have a host of resources at their disposal at USFSP. “All they need to get involved is a laptop,” Mathon said. Although computational biology involves some programming knowledge, the Computational Biology Club “has a bunch of resources to get students where they need to be for that programming background.”
Research in computational biology can have an impact that resonates around the globe. “If you can find a way to cure a disease, you’ve got a gold mine, so to speak,” Hardy said. “And I don’t just mean monetarily. Cures help a lot of people.”
The symposium will feature a student poster session as well as presentations by researchers who have leveraged computational biology to support their careers, including Katie Farney, Researcher at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Sameer Varma, Associate Professor of Structural and Computational Biology at USF Tampa and Dr. Stuart Gordon, Assistant Professor of Biology and Department Chair at Presbyterian College. Art even makes an appearance. Local artist Nathan Beard will give a presentation on his work, which combines elements of computational biology and art.
Studying computational biology has proven beneficial for many of Hardy’s students, some of whom have gone on to medical school and prestigious careers.
A background in computational biology “makes you stand out from other students,” Hardy said. “It’s very unique for an undergraduate to have experience in computational biology.”
Registration is free for the symposium, which begins on Friday, December 13 at 9:00 am in Harbor Hall and is expected to draw 35 attendees from ten institutions.