The word bioinformatics may sound intimidating at first, even to seasoned biologists! In simplest terms, bioinformatics is the study of the sequence of molecules that, like DNA and protein, are made up of long chains of smaller molecules (called subunits) attached end to end, like beads on a string. The order of the different subunits can contain information or meaning, just like the order of the letters on a page that make up words and sentences. 

DNA, often called the information molecule, is a string of nucleotides named A, C, G, and T.

Coral Genomics

Using a bioinformatics approach, the Vollmer Lab explores the genetic (DNA) differences that make some Staghorn corals resistant to White Band Disease (WBD) while others succumb. WBD is important; it has nearly wiped out this species of coral across the entire Caribbean, prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list it as a protected species under the Endangered Species Act. Only about 6% of Staghorn corals are resistant to WBD. Comparing resistant and non-resistant colonies can highlight which genes are important in a successful immune response to this devastating disease, knowledge that can be used in conservation efforts.

This Acropora coral colony has been affected by White Band Disease.

Bioinformatics and OGL

One of the main functions of OGL is to support this kind of bioinformatics research, by helping make DNA samples from many organisms available to researchers all over the world. 

Vollmer's work is just one example of how biorepositories can serve a crucial role for research. As DNA sequencers and computers get more powerful, scientists will no longer be limited by the rate at which they can generate sequence information, but instead by their ability to find the biological specimens they need. That's where OGL steps in. By helping scientists to collect and share DNA from thousands of species from all throughout the sea, OGL hopes to fuel the revolution in bioinformatics. Watch a video, below, about OGL and Dr. Vollmer's research.