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CIPHER is a university-wide research center with constituents from the College of Computing and Informatics, Klein College of Science, College of Engineering, College of Health and Human Services, and the College of Education. Our goals are to coalesce expertise in computer science, bioinformatics, software and information systems, biological sciences, math, geography, public health, data science, education, and communications.
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Landmark genome study unmasks the 65-million-year origins of bats
Laurel Yohe, Ph.D., assistant professor of bioinformatics at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is among the co-authors of a landmark study of bat genomes published this week in Nature. The study is the largest combined bat genome and fossil study ever undertaken. Led by the international Bat1K consortium, including 137 researchers from 64 countries, the study combined 103 bat genomes, representing every one of the 21 recognized bat families, with 44 fossil specimens. Bat1K aims to sequence the genomes of more than 1,400 living bat species. The paper is notable progress towards that goal.
Yohe’s involvement in the global effort reflects a broader mission she leads at UNC Charlotte to train the next generation of scientists to study bats and the diseases they carry. She directs an International Research Experiences for Students program, Better Access for Training Scientists, BATS, in Methods to Conserve Bats and Detect Emerging Pathogens (National Science Foundation Award No. 2505439, $449,987). Each year through IRES, Yohe sends up to eight U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to the Center for Biodiversity and Endangered Species in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. There, students sample bat biodiversity in national parks around Vietnam and use low-cost “backpack laboratory” tools to sequence molecular data and monitor pathogens found in bat populations. Read the full story here…
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Charlotte: The medtech market you might be missing
The Charlotte region is rapidly emerging as a premier hub for the medical technology and life sciences sectors, boasting over 160 companies and a 24% growth rate since 2015. According to a recent industry analysis commissioned by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, the area has built a highly competitive, manufacturing-led health innovation ecosystem. Supported by major healthcare anchor institutions, an expansive STEM and medical graduate pipeline, and major investments like Eli Lilly’s campus and The Pearl innovation district, Charlotte offers a cost-effective, talent-rich alternative to legacy biotech hubs.
Read the full story on the Charlotte Business Journal.
Landmark study unmasks the 65-million-year origins of bats
Laurel Yohe, Ph.D., assistant professor of bioinformatics at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is among the co-authors of a landmark study of bat genomes published this week in Nature. The study is the largest combined bat genome and fossil study ever undertaken. Led by the international Bat1K consortium, including 137 researchers from 64 countries, the study combined 103 bat genomes, representing every one of the 21 recognized bat families, with 44 fossil specimens.
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explores the cutting-edge interdisciplinary research happening at UNC Charlotte’s CIPHER Research Center. Each episode features an in-depth interview with one of CIPHER’s researchers, allowing them to discuss their background, current projects, and the exciting team science approach they take to tackle complex issues at the intersection of health, environment, data science, genomics, infectious disease, and more.
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