App Analyzes Coronavirus Genome on Smartphone

Amazing how we can get advanced bioinformatics on a handheld. Open source too.

App Analyzes Coronavirus Genome on Smartphone

Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Australia)

Researchers at Australia's Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Sri Lanka's University of Peradeniya have developed Genopo, an open source application that can read or ‘sequence’ genetic material in a biological sample using an Android smartphone. Garvan's Hasindu Gamaarachchi said, "To enable in situ genomic sequencing and analysis, in real time and without major laboratory infrastructure, we developed an app that could execute bioinformatics workflows on nanopore sequencing datasets that are downloaded to a smartphone." In testing Genopo on raw sequencing data of samples extracted from nine patients infected with coronavirus on different Android devices, the app took 27 minutes on average to determine the complete genome sequence. Garvan's Ira Deveson said this "makes genomic analysis more accessible, literally placing the technology into the pockets of scientists around the world." ...