( A new computational tool developed at t...)Genomic sequences processed in minutes, rather than weeks

ScalaBLAST is a sophisticated "sequence alignment tool" that can divide the work of analyzing biological data into manageable fragments so large data sets can run on many processors simultaneously. The technology means large-scale problems -- such as the analysis of an organism -- can be solved in minutes, rather than weeks.

In the world of high-end computing, researchers assemble systems composed of many processors. For example, PNNL's supercomputer has 1,960 processors ?a big machine with lots of memory and the ability to tackle large problems. However, without special modifications, software doesn't run any faster on it than it would on a personal computer. In order to get answers to complicated biological questions more quickly, PNNL researchers "parallelized" the software using Global Arrays, a powerful programming toolkit, by creating algorithms to divvy up the work.

PNNL researchers say ScalaBLAST may be used to process complex genomic sequences, work that is essential to understanding the building blocks of the genome -- or rather, how they work and fit together. Genomes represent an organism's entire DNA, including its genes. When the gene's sequences are analyzed they can provide clues to diseases and possible treatments.

Using ScalaBLAST, researchers can manage the large influx of data resulting from new questions that arise during human genome research. Prior to this new tool, it took researchers 10 days to analyze one organism. Now, researchers can analyze 13 organisms within nine hours, making the time-to-solution hundreds of times faster.

"Access to and understanding the pieces of genome sequences will allow
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Source:DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory