GRAPPAling with evolutionary history

We’ve known for several years now that chimpanzees share 96 percent of our DNA. Our technology tells us how closely humans and chimps are related. But it doesn’t tell us how we’re related. We need new technology for that.

Enter GRAPPA – or Genome Rearrangements Analysis under Parsimony and other Phylogenetic Algorithms if you want a mouthful. GRAPPA has already been used to analyze the evolution of organelles such as chloroplasts and mitochondria, running on cluster computers with upwards of 500 processors. To analyze more complex organisms, however, the team that develops GRAPPA will have to take the code to an entirely new level – the petascale level.

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An interview with the “Particle-Zoo Keeper”

A Los Angeles artist has come up with a new, unorthodox approach to portraying the standard model, using hand-sewn fuzzy plush toys which she collectively describes as her “particle zoo.” iSGTW brings you a behind-the-scenes look at these toys, just in time for the holiday season.

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Arie Shoshani talks about Scientific Data Management

This week the new book Scientific Data Management: Challenges, Technology, and Deployment is shipping out to bookstores around the world. Join iSGTW for a chat with Arie Shoshani, one of the editors who brought this unusual textbook to fruition.

Link of the week

GridCast at e-Science Oxford 2009

Last week, the eScience conference in Oxford, UK, was the place to be. The GridCast team was there, blogging up a storm. Read about some of the highlights, and then check out the blog posts at our link of the week!