I read the other day that the US excess deaths rate is back down to where it was before the pandemic. We’ve really turned the corner and that’s why it’s critical to begin pinpointing the lessons from the past three years that will help us manage the next pandemic better. One of them has been floating under the radar: bioinformatics. To my mind, investing in bioinformatics research and infrastructure could help strengthen defenses against future threats.
So what might we invest in? For one, advanced DNA sequencing and computational epidemiology allow earlier identification of outbreaks before widespread escalation. Bioinformatics enables tracking of pathogen spread and evolution in near real-time to inform containment plans. Simulation models can evaluate intervention scenarios and quantify outcomes.
For another, bioinformatics can accelerate development of medical countermeasures needed to combat novel pathogens. For vaccines, computational genomics and immunoinformatics enable rapid design of candidates based on the genomic profile and evolution of the pathogen. Researchers can construct customized mRNA and DNA vaccines within days once the genetic code is available. High-throughput in silico screening also allows existing drug libraries to be scanned for molecules with potential antiviral properties that could be repurposed. Promising hits can undergo rapid in vitro confirmation. Beyond repurposing existing drugs, bioinformatics can identify molecular targets for designing new broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. As the pandemic spread, researchers leveraged bioinformatics to adjust RT-PCR diagnostic assays to detect the emerging SARS-CoV-2 virus. Going forward, integrative analytics of disparate datasets along with artificial intelligence modeling may provide critical epidemiological insights for contingency planning against future threats. Overall, bioinformatics provides a valuable toolkit for developing tailored diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines in response to novel pathogens.
And…Large Language Models married to bioinformatics and in-silico modeling of molecular dynamics may have the potential to accelerate progress. Already, we are hearing of such transformer models trained on genes instead of words.
Bioinformatics is clearly only a piece of the pie. Robust traditional public health systems remain essential. However, bioinformatics infrastructure offers complementary capabilities to help monitor, model, and respond to outbreaks. Supporting bioinformatics R&D and next-generation sequencing infrastructure could provide valuable capabilities. As policy is developed, the potential of bioinformatics could be considered as part of a comprehensive biopreparedness strategy.
Discoverers and Discoveries 