使用GPU加速BLAST算法初探

应用GPU通用高性能编程技术实现了一种加速BLAST算法的新方法。BLAST是目前最常用的用于生物序列查询比对的算法和软件包,其处理速度受到串行化执行和磁盘I/O等因素的影响。本文通过实验分析了BLAST软件包中的典型程序BLASTN的运行热点,并选定关键热点模块,应用CUDA编程技术对其进行并行化改造。对比实验结果表明,对于平均序列长度较大的序列库,应用GPGPU并行化可明显缩短该模块的运行时间,获得超过35倍的加速比。这说明,我们可以利用GPGPU对BLAST进行并行化加速,以满足高性能生物序列查询的需求。     

Annotation of miRNAs in COVID-19 coronavirus

The COVID-19 coronavirus is a new strain of coronavirus that had not been previously detected in humans. As its severe pathogenicity is concerned, it is important to study it thoroughly to aid in the discovery of a cure. In this study, the microRNAs (miRNAs) of COVID-19 were annotated to provide a powerful tool for the study of this novel coronavirus. We obtained 16 novel coronavirus genome sequences and the mature sequences of all viruses in the microRNA database (miRbase), and then used the miRNA mature sequences of the virus to perform the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis in the coronavirus genome, extending the matched regions of approximately 20 bp to two segments by 200 bp. Six sequences were obtained after deleting redundant sequences. Then, the hairpin structures of the mature miRNAs were determined using RNAfold. The mature sequence on one hairpin arm was selected into a total of 4 sequences, and finally the relevant miRNA precursor prediction tools were used to verify whether the selected sequences are miRNA precursor sequences of the novel coronavirus. The miRNAs of the novel coronavirus were annotated by our newly developed method, which will lay the foundation for further study of this virus.     

Annotation of miRNAs in the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) coronavirus is a new strain of coronavirus that had not been previously detected in humans. As its severe pathogenicity is concerned, it is important to study it thoroughly to aid in the discovery of a cure. In this study, the microRNAs (miRNAs) of COVID-19 were annotated to provide a powerful tool for the study of this novel coronavirus. We obtained 16 novel coronavirus genome sequences and the mature sequences of all viruses in the microRNA database (miRbase), and then used the miRNA matures sequences of the virus to perform the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis in the coronavirus genome, extending the matched regions of approximately 20 bp to two segments by 200 bp. Six sequences were obtained after deleting redundant sequences. Then, the hairpin structures of the mature miRNAs were determined using RNAfold. The mature sequence on one hairpin arm was selected into a total of 4 sequences, and finally the relevant miRNA precursor prediction tools were used to verify whether the selected sequences are miRNA precursor sequences of the novel coronavirus. The miRNAs of the novel coronavirus were annotated by our newly developed method, which will lay the foundation for further study of this virus.