GCRI · Biotechnology and Biosecurity
Molecular and life sciences for biotechnology and biosecurity
How molecular and life sciences is applied in Biotechnology and Biosecurity. Molecular and life sciences study the structure and function of living systems from genes and proteins to cells and organisms. They underpin the understanding of pathogens, resistance, toxicity and biological innovation.
Molecular and life sciences for biotechnology and biosecurity on the record.
- MethodMolecular and life sciences
- StewardBiotechnology and Biosecurity
- Applied inBiotechnology and Biosecurity
- Data5 inputs
- ChecksValidation
- Canonical pageSTEM Commons
What molecular and life sciences does here.
Molecular and life sciences study the structure and function of living systems from genes and proteins to cells and organisms. They underpin the understanding of pathogens, resistance, toxicity and biological innovation. In health and biosecurity and food and agriculture, life sciences support pathogen characterisation, antimicrobial resistance tracking and biosecurity assessment. They inform how biological threats might spread through health, agriculture and trade. The canonical description is on the STEM Commons.
- 01
Methods used here
genome sequencing and assembly; phylogenetic analysis; functional assays; proteomics and metabolomics; cell and tissue culture; bioinformatic pipelines.
- 02
Validation
Results are confirmed through biological replicates, independent laboratories and orthogonal assays. Reference standards and proficiency testing check analytical accuracy.
SEIR on a network of places.
An outbreak seeded in one place spreads through a small-world network by the share of contacts people make elsewhere; play it to see the order of arrival and how the timing of measures moves the peak. Teaching model with stated illustrative values, not a prediction.
Controls
- Basic reproduction number R0
- 2.5
- Latent period
- 3.0 days
- Infectious period
- 5.0 days
- Share of contacts made in other places
- 8%
- Places in the network
- 24
- Measures start on day
- 40
- Contact reduction from measures
- 40%
- Days simulated
- 240 days
Readouts
- Peak new infections
- 4.42 per 1,000 a day
- Day of the peak
- 176
- Share ever infected
- 56%
- Places reached
- 100%
- Reproduction number under measures
- 1.50
Numbers, methods and sources
| Day | New infections per 1,000 | Cumulative infected (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 17 | 0.03 | 0.0 |
| 34 | 0.31 | 0.2 |
| 51 | 0.92 | 1.4 |
| 68 | 1.56 | 3.5 |
| 85 | 2.11 | 6.7 |
| 102 | 2.39 | 10.5 |
| 119 | 2.61 | 14.8 |
| 136 | 3.12 | 19.6 |
| 153 | 3.87 | 25.6 |
| 170 | 4.38 | 32.7 |
| 187 | 4.30 | 40.2 |
| 204 | 3.65 | 47.0 |
| 221 | 2.56 | 52.2 |
| 238 | 1.45 | 55.6 |
Methods
- SEIR compartments Kermack and McKendrick (1927), Proc. R. Soc. A 115
- Metapopulation coupling by mobility Balcan and others (2009), PNAS 106
- Small-world network Watts and Strogatz (1998), Nature 393
- Modelling infectious diseases Keeling and Rohani (2008), Princeton University Press
- Uncertainty fan (parameter Monte Carlo) Spiegelhalter, Pearson and Short (2011), Visualising uncertainty about the future, Science 333
- One-at-a-time sensitivity (tornado) Saltelli and others (2008), Global Sensitivity Analysis: The Primer, Wiley
Data
The model runs on the teaching values set by the controls. To calibrate it for a place, read it against these admitted layers and series, which this page’s map can draw:
- Cities Natural Earth
- Airports Natural Earth
- Major roads Natural Earth
Across the six pillars, led by Nexus Consortium
- Experiments Labs
- Built in Biotechnology and Biosecurity in Foundry
- Tested at Biotechnology and Biosecurity in Universe
- Codified in Health and Biosecurity in Standards
- Published in Biotechnology and Biosecurity in Reports
- Taught in Faculty of Health and Society in Academy
What the method consumes.
Datasets and records used by molecular and life sciences on this platform, with the role each plays and the label its values carry. Sources are listed in the source register.
| Data | Role | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Sequencing instruments | Input | OBSERVED |
| Public sequence repositories | Input | OBSERVED |
| Biobanks | Input | OBSERVED |
| Laboratory assays | Input | OBSERVED |
| Structural biology instruments | Input | OBSERVED |
The model, the data and the uncertainty.
The model, its assumptions, its data and its uncertainty, in the form a scientist or engineer would check. Structures follow published methods. The values drawn are illustrative, not findings.
Uncertainty bands
How far the outlook for molecular and life sciences for biotechnology and biosecurity could spread, shown as ranges rather than a single line.
- Central estimate
- median of the ensemble
- Ranges
- likely and very likely, in IPCC calibrated language
- Ensemble
- members, scenarios and initial conditions stated
- Read with
- the sensitivity of the result to each input
How results are checked.
Results are confirmed through biological replicates, independent laboratories and orthogonal assays. Reference standards and proficiency testing check analytical accuracy.
Laboratory findings do not always translate to organisms or populations. Sampling bias in sequence databases limits generalisation.
Topics that rely on this method.
Who maintains the method.
Biotechnology and Biosecurity stewards molecular and life sciences for the Consortium and reviews how it is applied across platforms.
Questions and answers.
What are the limits of molecular and life sciences in this field?
How are results checked?
Are the values on this page real?
Where else is this method applied?
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