What is SIMAP?
Today, protein sequence comparison is one of the most powerful tools in computational biology. It allows characterizing protein sequences based on the information that is preserved in evolution. Many computational methods in biology and medicine are based on protein sequence analysis, e.g. to predict the function and structure of genes and proteins. SIMAP facilitates these methods by providing pre-calculated protein similarities and protein domains. Read more...
What do you do in BOINCSIMAP?
SIMAP contains about all currently published protein sequences and is continuously updated. In BOINCSIMAP, we calculate every month the similarities and domains of newly imported proteins, in order to keep the SIMAP database up-to-date. Protein similarities are computed using the algorithm which provides optimal speed and higher sensitivity compared to the popular BLAST. Protein domains are calculated using the methods and databases. Read more...
Why do it?
The SIMAP database is a huge bioinformatic resource that is used by scientists for very different purposes. Individual researchers use the SIMAP database via the public , e.g. to investigate the evolution and function of individual proteins. Furthermore, many bioinformatics projects access SIMAP directly via the public or facilities. Your support for BOINCSIMAP keeps the SIMAP database running.
How do it?
BOINC lets you contribute unused computing power on your home PC to projects doing research in many scientific areas. You can contribute to a single project (like BOINCSIMAP), or to any combination of them. It's easy to participate in a BOINC project: and install BOINC. You will be asked to select a project and enter your email address and a password. That's it!
What's new?
SIMAP integrates the . We are not alone: our body contains about as many microbial as human cells. Most of these microbes are concentrated in the intestinal tract. But microorganisms are also found on our skin and on many other locations of our body. These microbial are crucial for our health, as they support our organism and prevent us from infections by pathogens. Due to the high diversity of the human microbiome its biological and medical investigation has just started during the last years. Modern research technologies, such as DNA sequencing, play a key role in this research. Sequences, e.g. from healthy and sick patients or from different body locations, are analyzed by sophisticated computational methods. SIMAP supports the researchers studying the human microbiome by integrating the sequences from into its exhaustive similarity matrix. This will help to understand the evolution and function of the microbes living with us.
