Biopython 1.84 has been released and is available from our website and PyPI. This contains about 5 months worth of updates, so the change-log in the news file is longer than usual. There have also been a few deprecations, most noteworthy this may be our last release with Python 3.9 support.

The call for applications for the OBF Event Fellowship 2024, round 2 , is now open. The deadline for this round is 1 August 2024. Applications should be submitted via this Google Form. We have provided a Word template to help you draft the application locally before filling out the form – make a copy of this template.

This year will mark the 15th edition of the BOSC-associated CollaborationFest, or CoFest for short. At these events, participants work together on code, documentation, training materials, use cases, and analyses. CoFest 2024 will take place on July 17-18, right after ISMB and BOSC 2024. This will be a hybrid event, hosted at UQAM | Université du Québec à Montréal and online.

Open Source AI/ML: A Game Changer for Bioinformatics? Tired of locked-away algorithms hindering your research? This panel dives into the exciting world of open-source AI/ML for bioinformatics. Join BOSC in a conversation with renowned experts as they explore the potential of open models to revolutionize the field.

BOSC 2024 keynote speakers and panelists KEYNOTE: Mélanie Courtot: The Data Shows We Need Better Data KEYNOTE: Andrew Su: Open Data, Knowledge Graphs, and Large Language Models Panel: Open Source AI/ML: A Game Changer for Bioinformatics?

BOSC is an entirely volunteer-run event. We have an organizing committee of 8 people (see /events/bosc-2024/), and we are assisted by a larger review committee. The review committee is responsible for reading all the submitted abstracts and assessing them for quality and appropriateness to BOSC. You can read more about our review process here. Our tentative review committee for 2024 is listed below.

A PhD student’s perspective on attending the 17th Annual International Biocuration Conference in Faridabad, India The Open Bioinformatics Foundation (OBF) Event Fellowship program aims to promote diverse participation at events promoting open-source bioinformatics software development and open science practices in the biological research community.

Gemma Turon, PhD spoke at an ISCBacademy webinar on March 5, 2024. Her talk was entitled “Ersilia, open source AI/ML for (antimicrobial) drug discovery”. The talk video is now available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcEkCuJpZbw. Dr. Turon’s bio and talk abstract can be found in this blog post.

Mélanie Courtot (Ontario Institute for Cancer Research) The Data Shows We Need Better Data Big data, AI, LLMs… do they live up to the hype? In a bright and hopeful future, AI accelerates progress, revolutionizes healthcare, alerts us to health risks, and creates fresh career paths. Yet, in a bleaker outlook, it obliterates jobs, fosters rampant misinformation and increases inequity.

The call for applications for the OBF Event Fellowship 2024, round 1, is now open. The deadline for this round is 1 April 2024. Applications should be submitted via this Google Form. We have provided a Word template to help you draft the application locally before filling out the form – make a copy of this template.

Abstract submission for BOSC 2024 is now open! Since some people can’t get conference travel approval from their institution until they get confirmation that their abstract has been accepted for a presentation, we started offering Early Poster Acceptance last year, and we are continuing the experiment this year.