#biotech database

[chemxpert]

How to Choose the Right Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Company

Choosing the right pharmaceutical contract manufacturing company (CMO) is crucial for the success of any pharmaceutical business. Whether you’re launching a new drug or need to scale production for an existing product, selecting the right partner can ensure high-quality, cost-effective, and compliant manufacturing processes. In this article, we’ll discuss the key factors to consider when choosing a pharmaceutical contract manufacturing company, including the importance of working with trusted pharmaceutical data providers, accessing a comprehensive active pharmaceutical ingredient database, and leveraging pharma data providers.

[clivaldatabase]

Patient safety is always a big issue of concern especially in clinical trials and during the drug development. Given the increasing speed of developing new therapies, ensuring those therapies are safe and effective prior to be made public is imperative for the preservation of patient safety and endorsement of innovative treatments. This blog post focuses on the vital role of clinical trials in improving patient safety including the procedures followed to ensure safer drug development and advancements towards making clinical trials safer.

[jcmarchi]

Valeria Kogan, PhD, Founder and CEO of Fermata – Interview Series

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/valeria-kogan-phd-founder-and-ceo-of-fermata-interview-series/

Valeria Kogan, PhD, Founder and CEO of Fermata – Interview Series

Valeria Kogan, PhD, Founder and CEO of Fermata has been recognized as one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” in 2022, Valeria is a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record in biotechnology and innovation. As the founder of Fermata and the biotech firm Smartomica, Valeria combines her scientific expertise with a visionary approach to transforming industries.

Fermata is a data science company revolutionizing agriculture with cutting-edge computer vision solutions. Its flagship platform, Croptimus™, provides 24/7 automated detection of pests and diseases, helping growers identify issues like powdery mildew, bud rot, and mosaic before they escalate. By reducing scouting time and minimizing crop loss, Fermata empowers farmers to focus on solutions and maximize yield, whether in controlled environments or outdoor settings.

What inspired you to transition from bioinformatics and cancer research to agriculture technology? How did your experience with Smartomica influence the founding of Fermata?

My transition from biotech to agriculture was pretty accidental. Friends of friends of mine who were tomato producers were looking for someone with experience in AI to brainstorm together on its applications in farming. It was the time when deep learning has just started and created a lot of buzz in the tech space – it also found immediate applications in the medical domain through computer vision in radiology. Everyone in my circle was talking about it, so when I saw what the farming guys showed me – plant health issues that can be detected visually and that need to be identified in real time – it immediately clicked. I had an idea to bring the knowledge from the medical space to agriculture which was a much less popular and digitized industry back then.

With a background in AI and biotech, what challenges did you face in adapting those technologies to agriculture?

I think in general anyone who comes with a digital product to a conservative industry faces the same level of resistance. However, it’s harder if you are an outsider. My approach was and is being humble and driven by the willingness to apply my company’s knowledge to help people, not to tell them what they are doing wrong and how we can help them do it in the right way. Through every conversation with growers, we learn and try to stay open-minded and not too attached to our technology while prioritizing the needs of the grower and adjusting our product accordingly.

Fermata focuses on reducing crop losses and pesticide use. What was the initial reception of this idea in the agricultural community, and how did you convince stakeholders to adopt AI-driven solutions?

The initial reception was that it was not possible. I can’t say that much has changed over the past 5 years! We see great support from the early adopters and a lot of concerns from the broader audience. We are lucky to have customers who believe in the technology and don’t just pay us money but become the showcases for the rest of the market. The best and only thing we can really do is let the product speak for itself.

How does Croptimus™ integrate multiple data sources, such as satellite imagery, sensors, and AI models, to provide actionable insights for growers?

Currently, we use only visual data from the cameras to analyze plant health and identify pests, diseases, nutrient problems, and other issues. However, with the new developments in the AI sector, we understand the benefits that additional data sources can bring to us both for higher detection quality and also for enabling predictive analytics. Currently, we only use climate data in some projects, but plan to expand beyond that in 2025.

What makes Fermata’s early pest and disease detection capabilities unique compared to other AgTech solutions?

There are several things that make us unique. First of all, over the past 5 years, we have collected an insane database of plant images both through our customers and with our own R&D facility where we infest the plants to collect additional data. We also used an internal labeling team which we very carefully trained. In combination with a broad network of agronomy experts from across the globe, this helped us to build a very high-quality dataset. A deep understanding of machine learning in combination with the product vision helped us create a useful and simple product on top of that.

AI and computer vision are advancing rapidly. How does Fermata ensure its technology stays ahead of the curve in this competitive landscape?

At Fermata, we follow a data-centric approach, ensuring high-quality and flexible data labeling by bringing together agronomists and data scientists. We invest in diverse datasets to keep our technology competitive and we also focus on solving specific problems and collaborate with partners when needed to remain the best at what we do.

You’ve emphasized sustainability as a key goal. How do you see Fermata’s technology impacting global efforts to reduce food waste and minimize environmental harm?

By helping farmers identify pests and diseases in time we help them prevent losses, minimize food waste, and reduce pesticide use. This is especially important in the current environment when the climate is changing. Many growers suffer from new pests or diseases that they have never seen in their regions before. Because of that, early detection and assistance in tuning the mitigation strategies is essential for them.

Raising $10 million in Series A funding is a significant milestone. How will this funding accelerate Fermata’s vision, and what are your immediate priorities for growth?

We plan to use this money to grow from “The Eyes of Ag” to “The Brain of Ag” by integrating more data sources into our platform and broadening the list of products we offer beyond pests and diseases. Our immediate priorities include focusing on certain markets – Canada and the Netherlands, and tomato crops to get significant market share for the segment and then replicate it for the other regions and crops.

What role do you see emerging technologies, like robotics or IoT, playing in Fermata’s future innovations?

I believe that advancements in robotics and IoT will bring huge value to Fermata, because all these companies are our potential partners. We are looking forward to seeing both new ways to collect data as well as automated solutions to move through the facility and use fewer sensors and cameras to achieve the same goals.

What’s next for Fermata? Are there specific crops, regions, or technologies you are particularly excited to explore in the coming years?

In 2025 we will be focused on tomato producers mainly in Canada and the Netherlands, but following that we aim to expand our services to other vegetables like cucumbers and peppers, then strawberries and grapes. I hope that we will enter global markets with the new crops at the end of this year and in 2026. Regarding technologies, our plan is to go beyond pests and diseases into predicting the yield, assessing the efficiency of pollination, and many other exciting tasks where farmers will appreciate the help of AI.

Thank you for the great interview, readers who wish to learn more should visit Fermata.

[mariacallous]

"I’m going to let him go wild on health,” former president Donald Trump said of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at his Madison Square Garden rally in New York City this past weekend. “I’m going to let him go wild on the food. I’m going to let him go wild on the medicines.”

Kennedy, a former Democrat, suspended his presidential campaign in August and endorsed Trump. He has since launched the Make America Healthy Again campaign, an initiative focused on tackling chronic diseases that Trump has seemingly embraced in recent weeks. Given Kennedy’s anti-vaccination stance and conspiratorial leanings, some policy experts and former government officials are concerned about how his views could shape the nation’s health agenda.

Kennedy has long made false statements about the safety of vaccines and has touted disproven treatments for Covid-19, including ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. On the campaign trail, he has railed against seed oils, blaming several chronic health conditions on their presence in processed foods.

How much influence Kennedy could have on national health policy will all depend on his role within a future Trump administration. Trump did not clarify his remarks at Sunday’s event, including what position he is considering Kennedy for. According to a CNN report that ran late Tuesday, Kennedy said Trump “promised him control of the public health agencies,” but in an email to WIRED on Wednesday, Steven Cheung, Trump’s campaign communications director, said that formal discussions of who will serve in a second Trump administration are premature.

Trump could be considering Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which has 80,000 federal employees, or one of the agencies within it, such as the Food and Drug Administration or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It would be a departure from his previous top health picks, who had lengthy government or public health careers. For instance, Alex Azar, Trump’s HHS secretary, was deputy HHS secretary under George W. Bush and an executive at drugmaker Eli Lilly. Scott Gottlieb, a physician and investor appointed as FDA commissioner under Trump, had previously worked for the FDA and had served on the boards of pharma and biotech companies.

When asked to elaborate on Kennedy’s health priorities, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, the former candidate’s campaign director and daughter-in-law, told WIRED: “Bobby aims to end conflicts and corruption at the agencies, ensure all testing is undertaken by scientists who have no financial interest in the outcome, and all results of all trials are released to the public. The free market will take care of it from there.” (The National Institutes of Health already requires results of clinical trials funded by the agency to be published to a government database.)

Jerome Adams, US surgeon general under Trump and current executive director of health equity initiatives at Purdue University, says that even if Kennedy were tapped to lead HHS, the FDA, or the CDC, it’s unlikely that he would ascend to one of those roles due to his lack of medical training and controversial views on public health issues. “Congressional approval is required for these positions, and his stances could be a barrier,” Adams says.

If Republicans control the Senate after next week’s election, though, that calculus could change. “The GOP has generally fallen into line in terms of supporting candidates that President Trump does,” says Genevieve Kanter, associate professor of public policy at the University of Southern California.

If chosen to be FDA commissioner, Kennedy would control the agency’s budget and priorities and could have a sizable impact by installing lower-level appointees who are sympathetic to his worldview. While the FDA commissioner does not single-handedly approve or authorize new drugs, Kantner says outside political pressure can certainly influence that process. Kennedy could also appoint members to FDA advisory committees, panels of outside experts that make recommendations to the agency on drug approvals and other regulatory matters. The FDA often follows the recommendations of advisory committees when making decisions on new drug approvals, but not always.

The FDA can also choose to not enforce some rules in certain circumstances—what’s known as enforcement discretion. Given his support for dubious and unproven therapies, such as stem cells and hyperbaric oxygen, an FDA under Kennedy, for instance, could choose to not go after companies that market unapproved treatments.

“When we think of the kind of person we want to be head of HHS or be FDA commissioner, someone ‘going wild’ isn’t exactly the first trait that comes to mind,” Kanter says. “It wouldn’t ease the public’s concern that we would see more food safety incidents and adverse events from poorly regulated drugs and devices from a lax administration that is known for embracing unscientific theories.”

Kennedy wouldn’t have free rein though. Existing laws and regulations govern how the agency works, and a new FDA commissioner wouldn’t be able to get rid of those quickly. “If you’re dealing with regulatory issues that have been long-standing and have lots of precedent, it’s just not possible to turn some of those things around or dismiss them overnight,” says a past leader of the FDA, who requested anonymity so that they could speak freely.

Likewise, even in a leadership role at HHS or the CDC, Kennedy wouldn’t be able to easily affect vaccine policy. Vaccine recommendations are made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which comprises outside medical and public health experts. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, says Kennedy could try to stack that advisory committee with people who are sympathetic to his views on vaccination, but those members are chosen through a rigorous nomination process.

“He could certainly change policy that way, but it takes a while and it won't be a secret. There are ways in which the public can push back, including taking a case to court,” he says.

Kennendy could have influence in other ways beyond direct control of a public health agency. Trump could potentially bring Kennedy on as a White House adviser, which wouldn’t require approval by the Senate.

“Without congressional vetting and oversight, there is potential for unchecked impact. RFK's views could shape health policies, raising concerns about misinformation and harm,” Adams says.

Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, told WIRED in an email that if reelected, Trump will establish a “special Presidential Commission of independent minds and will charge them with investigating what is causing the decades-long increase in chronic illnesses.” She did not say whether Kennedy would be chosen for that task force.

Kennedy has also been sizing himself up for another position in a potential Trump cabinet: agriculture secretary. A longtime environmental activist, Kennedy has promised to take on big farms and feedlots, reduce pesticides, and fix what he presents as a food system captured by corporate interests. “When Donald Trump gets me inside,” Kennedy said in a video shot outside the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington, DC, “it won’t be that way any more.”

This platform is a continuation of Kennedy’s long history as an antagonist against the agriculture industry. In 2018, Kennedy and a team of attorneys won an initial $289 million settlement against Monsanto, representing a groundskeeper who developed cancer after being soaked with a herbicide made by the agrochemical firm. He also attempted to sue the pig farming company Smithfield because of its production of hog manure, although that case was thrown out by a federal judge.

Kennedy’s past makes him an unlikely candidate for agriculture secretary, according to Daniel Glickman, who served in the role during Bill Clinton’s presidency. “It’s hard for me to imagine, given Trump’s traditional base in the heartlands, that he would pick somebody who was an advocate for breaking up large farms and breaking consolidated agriculture,” says Glickman.

Like top posts at HHS, the USDA secretary position would need to be confirmed by a Senate vote. “I don’t think [Kennedy] is a slam dunk,” says Glickman.

Trump’s pick for USDA chief during his first term was Sonny Perdue, a former governor of Georgia and founder of an agricultural trading company. Most agriculture secretaries either have a background in the industry or politics—two crucial constituencies for the person who will be in charge of a department that employs nearly 100,000 and is made up of 29 agencies, including forestry, conservation, and nutrition programs. “The difference between Sonny Perdue and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is like night and day,” says Glickman.

If Kennedy were to be confirmed as agriculture secretary, he might struggle to enact the most radical parts of his program. He is an outspoken critic of pesticides, but the USDA is generally not in charge of regulating those, says Dan Blaustein-Rejto, director of agriculture policy and research at the Breakthrough Institute. Rather, the EPA regulates pesticides with public health uses.

Although he may not be able to directly influence pesticide regulations, Kennedy has said he would try to “weaponize” other agencies against “chemical agriculture” by commissioning scientific research into the effects of pesticides. The USDA Agricultural Research Service has a nearly $2 billion discretionary budget for research into crops, livestocks, nutrition, food safety, and natural resources conservation.

There are other levers that an agriculture secretary could pull, says Blaustein-Rejto. The USDA is investing $3 billion through the partnership for climate-smart commodities—a scheme that’s supposed to make US agriculture more climate-friendly. A USDA chief might be able to put their thumb on their scale by influencing the selection criteria for these kinds of programs. The USDA also oversees the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), which has a $5 billion fund that it uses to support farm incomes and conservation programs, and to assist farmers hit by natural disasters. It’s possible that a USDA chief could influence how these CCC funds are distributed by the agency.

Kennedy has also argued that corporate interests have captured the US’s dietary guidelines, and he pledged to remove conflicts of interest from USDA groups that come up with dietary guidelines. US dietary guidelines are developed jointly by the USDA and HHS and are updated every five years, giving the agriculture secretary limited opportunities to influence any recommendations.

“If RFK is in a high-level policy role, I expect to see a lot more talk about ultra-processed foods, but I’m not sure what that would actually entail when it comes to the dietary guidelines,” says Blaustein-Rejto.

The experts WIRED spoke with largely think Kennedy’s more extreme positions will likely be constrained by bureaucracy. But the message that elevating a vocal vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist would send remains a serious concern ahead of a potential second Trump administration.

[monarch-afterdark]

Titan History: Scylla

Welcome once again to Monarch: After Dark, the digital gateway between you and the organisation dedicated to understanding and navigating this troubled new world we live in.

While our inquiry into Janos Biotech continues, we return to the regularly scheduled "Titan History" series, where we break down all you need to know about the creatures we now share our world with. For today's communication, we look to the most recent Titan crisis and examine one of the casualties; the Lovecraftian scavenger, Scylla.

(Pictured above: Scylla rampaging through Rome, prior to being confronted and executed by Godzilla, circa. 2027)

Monarch Database File: Scylla

Monarch Designation: Titanus Scylla

Height: 341 feet

Weight: 20,000 tons

Nature: Bio-Corrosive

Behavioural Classification: Destroyer

-----

A colossal cephalopod Titan that appears to have crawled out from the depths of the Cthulhu Mythos, Scylla is among one of Monarch's more recent discoveries, noted as 'Titan 024' in our database. Her discovery was recent enough that, during the construction of Monarch Outpost 55, a proper containment field for Scylla was unable to be constructed. Some of the outpost's operatives erroneously believed she was dead when they found her dormant in Arizona.

Scylla is known to us as a Titan scavenger, able to break down the carcasses of deceased Titans and convert the nutrients into a lethal waterborne bacteria. This ability led to the implementation of new protocols for Monarch's pathology teams when cleaning and disposing of Titan remains. She can also emit an incredibly dense fog-like pollutant, which she uses to feed on radiation sources or cover her while she evades an attacker, and can emit liquid nitrogen from her body. The latter ability in particular has been cited for cooling down the Antarctic ice and stabilizing global sea levels.

Scylla is also surprisingly intelligent, able to take the wreckages of ships and craft them into temporary shells for her body, and is remarkably agile in her movements, enabling her to take on opponents such as Godzilla with ease.

(Pictured above: The Moai statues of Easter Island. It is believed by Monarch these were built by the Rapa Nui people to ward off Titans like Scylla)

Like with most Titans, not much is known about Scylla's activities prior to 2019 outside of what mythological records allow. It is known that, at some point, Scylla made landfall on Easter Island. Feared by the Rapa Nui people, they erected the Moai status as megalithic scarecrows to deter her, and presumably other Titans as well.

When Scylla was awakened by Monster Zero in 2019, she erupted from beneath Monarch Outpost 55 and made her way to Arizona's capital Phoenix, where she rampaged through the city. She was pacified by the ORCA device's activation in Boston, and was among the few Titans present to witness Godzilla become the new Alpha, bowing down to him as he roared into the sky.

Between this and her next known sighting, Scylla enjoyed a deal of popularity among humanity once Monarch's record of her went public, even becoming a trending topic on social media platform Twitter once her Greek origins were confirmed.

(Pictured above: Artistic rendition of Scylla engaging the United States Coast Guard and Godzilla over possession of a nuclear warhead, circa. 2020)

Around the end of 2020, Scylla appeared off the coast of Savannah, Georgia in search of food. Her hunger led her to a discarded nuclear warhead, which she fought with the US Coast Guard for possession of. Godzilla arrived shortly after and successfully drove Scylla away after a short brawl. She then made her way to a frozen lake at the tip of South America, claiming it as her new territory. Like with all other Titans, Scylla then returned to dormancy, seemingly under Godzilla's instruction.

She did not stay dormant, however. In 2027, Scylla was lured to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in India by a reactor beacon created by Skull Island trophy hunter Raymond Martin, who (as Monarch later discovered) wanted to use her to occupy Godzilla's attention so he could proceed with his plans for Hollow Earth. After feeding on the radiation there, she would travel to other locations around the world and feed there, Godzilla always one step behind her.

Scylla attacked the United Kingdom Nuclear Labs in Preston and the Aviano Air Base in Italy, feasting off whatever she could find. Her ravenous feeding had caused her to cease cooling the planet's oceans, and Monarch instead found that she was heating the areas she attacked, causing damage to the ozone layer. After an attempted trap by Monarch failed, she was finally cornered by Godzilla in Rome and killed by a point-blank blast of his atomic breath following a short skirmish.

(Pictured above: An X-Ray scan of Scylla, part of a compiled bioacoustic database Monarch has on all Titans, circa. 2019)

-----

And there you go! While Scylla's passing means we may not be able to learn more about her, unless new data is found or another of her species emerge in the future, we do take some pride in knowing some people out there came to embrace Scylla, rather than fear her as most would.

Until next time,

Monarch: After Dark

[elbiotipo]

in a long since abandoned sci-fi story of mine, the main character is fitted with a translator computer as an implant (as well as a biotech implant that allows her to breathe a limited variety of gases and liquids), but it's only languages from a certain corner of the galaxy. It can't learn adaptively, too, it would need to have a dictionary database file loaded onto it. a bit of an inch resting angle i took to kind of like. have a bit more realism (and the drama of plots where she can't understand anyone) but also have like. the easy route out in certain episodes

Oh yes, let's be honest, universal translators are very, very convenient. I also would like my characters to banter and do wordplay from day one, but without a universal translator it takes time and it does get frustrating. You have to design your story around it.

Same with adapting to other worlds, there is a lot of prep-time you have to do when going to space, imagine having to adapt to other atmospheres or biologies. This is something most sci-fi works take for granted they just play it as getting out of a plane in a different country, but it wouldn't be like that.

Still, to have an translator that STILL requires to have a database is a real interesting setup. And in fact, machine translation only gets you so far, especially with regards to dialects and everyday language.

[musickool]

What do you think about a yandere William Foster and Evan Webber?

omggg yess! yandere william foster and evan webber au ♡ ♱ · ! ꒰ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𑄽୧ㅤㅤ۪ㅤㅤരㅤㅤ꒱

a biotech scientist and an architect who compartmentalise between their dual identities: the facade of doting loving fathers & husbands and their dark side as sociopathic stalkers .ᐟ

prompt #1:

yandere william foster & evan webber x reader

william, as a biotech scientist & engineer, spends a lot of his time in his private lab doing research (and surveilling you). since he knows a lot about technology, you should already know where this is going...

with his infinite knowledge and wisdom, he'd come up with an idea to create some sort of spying device so he could find more information about you, to which he harvests in a gazillion folders of files on a digital database, protected by a hefty set of blockchains. he'll know your address, where you go work, mode of transport, your name, a photographic memory of your appearance, hell, even down to the nitty gritty of knowing your personal interests. this man is completely obsessed with you, loves you more than his own wife and kids. he will know everything, and you cannot stop him.

evan's your neighbour so you know his advantages are on a all-time high. he stalks you by watching you through his own home: writing notes of things you do routinely, recording you, taking pictures. on his way to work, he stalks you in his car, slowly driving by your house or as you walk into your home. he wants you, he needs you, he has to have you. to everyone, he's the friendly ol' guy who's always willing to lend a helping hand to any advances. but his intentions are far more bleaker than that....

similar to william, he too also keeps the information on a USB, as well his notebooks, storing it away somewhere unknown. he knows every single thing about you and one day, he'll lure you into his home under the false pretence of a special dinner with him as an invite, obviously knowing full well that this will be the last time you'll be seen again.

[amethystfairy1]

hey i had a Thought (about ttsbc) and i havent reread to check yet, so details i recalled may be wrong but

1) yknow when the institute was overhauled. the time when cub managed to delete hotguy’s info from the database. the one where a ton of people were fired and replaced. Lead Scientists, at that?

2) yknow how we suspect the Director to be alive and Directing over-city biotech institute?

is that. is that when she took over the institute. is that how she became director. who are the scientists she replaced? who were they replaced with? are the replacements hybrids and mutants in disguise? why were they replaced? only to justify the change in persons in power?

or am i perhaps reading too much into this?

(thank you for your stories! i enjoy them Very Much.❤️you are wonderful) (also thank you for the Pearl appearances. i hold them very close to my heart)

Hello hello!

I love to see all the speculation! These are all very good points, but that’s all I wanna say so I don’t give anything away one way or another 😆

But I assure you you are not reading to far into this, yes this series is mainly chacter/relationship (romantic/friendship/found family) driven, but there is an overarching narrative I’ve got planned, so keep reading between the lines if you like! And keep the thoughts coming! I absolutely love to see them!

Thank you thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the Pearl appearances, she’s such a darling in this series, isn’t she? Big sister mode all over the place! 🥰

[biopractify]

How to Transition from Biotechnology to Bioinformatics: A Step-by-Step Guide

Biotechnology and bioinformatics are closely linked fields, but shifting from a wet lab environment to a computational approach requires strategic planning. Whether you are a student or a professional looking to make the transition, this guide will provide a step-by-step roadmap to help you navigate the shift from biotechnology to bioinformatics.

Why Transition from Biotechnology to Bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics is revolutionizing life sciences by integrating biological data with computational tools to uncover insights in genomics, proteomics, and drug discovery. The field offers diverse career opportunities in research, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and AI-driven biological data analysis.

If you are skilled in laboratory techniques but wish to expand your expertise into data-driven biological research, bioinformatics is a rewarding career choice.

Step-by-Step Guide to Transition from Biotechnology to Bioinformatics

Step 1: Understand the Basics of Bioinformatics

Before making the switch, it’s crucial to gain a foundational understanding of bioinformatics. Here are key areas to explore:

Biological Databases – Learn about major databases like GenBank, UniProt, and Ensembl.

Genomics and Proteomics – Understand how computational methods analyze genes and proteins.

Sequence Analysis – Familiarize yourself with tools like BLAST, Clustal Omega, and FASTA.

🔹 Recommended Resources:

Online courses on Coursera, edX, or Khan Academy

Books like Bioinformatics for Dummies or Understanding Bioinformatics

Websites like NCBI, EMBL-EBI, and Expasy

Step 2: Develop Computational and Programming Skills

Bioinformatics heavily relies on coding and data analysis. You should start learning:

Python – Widely used in bioinformatics for data manipulation and analysis.

R – Great for statistical computing and visualization in genomics.

Linux/Unix – Basic command-line skills are essential for working with large datasets.

SQL – Useful for querying biological databases.

🔹 Recommended Online Courses:

Python for Bioinformatics (Udemy, DataCamp)

R for Genomics (HarvardX)

Linux Command Line Basics (Codecademy)

Step 3: Learn Bioinformatics Tools and Software

To become proficient in bioinformatics, you should practice using industry-standard tools:

Bioconductor – R-based tool for genomic data analysis.

Biopython – A powerful Python library for handling biological data.

GROMACS – Molecular dynamics simulation tool.

Rosetta – Protein modeling software.

🔹 How to Learn?

Join open-source projects on GitHub

Take part in hackathons or bioinformatics challenges on Kaggle

Explore free platforms like Galaxy Project for hands-on experience

Step 4: Work on Bioinformatics Projects

Practical experience is key. Start working on small projects such as:

✅ Analyzing gene sequences from NCBI databases ✅ Predicting protein structures using AlphaFold ✅ Visualizing genomic variations using R and Python

You can find datasets on:

NCBI GEO

1000 Genomes Project

TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas)

Create a GitHub portfolio to showcase your bioinformatics projects, as employers value practical work over theoretical knowledge.

Step 5: Gain Hands-on Experience with Internships

Many organizations and research institutes offer bioinformatics internships. Check opportunities at:

NCBI, EMBL-EBI, NIH (government research institutes)

Biotech and pharma companies (Roche, Pfizer, Illumina)

Academic research labs (Look for university-funded projects)

💡 Pro Tip: Join online bioinformatics communities like Biostars, Reddit r/bioinformatics, and SEQanswers to network and find opportunities.

Step 6: Earn a Certification or Higher Education

If you want to strengthen your credentials, consider:

🎓 Bioinformatics Certifications:

Coursera – Genomic Data Science (Johns Hopkins University)

edX – Bioinformatics MicroMasters (UMGC)

EMBO – Bioinformatics training courses

🎓 Master’s in Bioinformatics (optional but beneficial)

Top universities include Harvard, Stanford, ETH Zurich, University of Toronto

Step 7: Apply for Bioinformatics Jobs

Once you have gained enough skills and experience, start applying for bioinformatics roles such as:

Bioinformatics Analyst

Computational Biologist

Genomics Data Scientist

Machine Learning Scientist (Biotech)

💡 Where to Find Jobs?

LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor

Biotech job boards (BioSpace, Science Careers)

Company career pages (Illumina, Thermo Fisher)

Final Thoughts

Transitioning from biotechnology to bioinformatics requires effort, but with the right skills and dedication, it is entirely achievable. Start with fundamental knowledge, build computational skills, and work on projects to gain practical experience.

Are you ready to make the switch? 🚀 Start today by exploring free online courses and practicing with real-world datasets!

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

does evelin know what's up with mandela biotech? i remember it saying somewhere she's a hacker of sorts?

After the BPS went missing, Evelin became. extremely worried. knowing the connection between MBT and some disappearances, she decided to do more research, and after being able to hack into MBT's database, she found. everything.

She found the documents on the patients and their mutations, images/videos of the procedures, plans for the future, everything. Of course, a LOT of it she couldn't stomach watching in one sitting otherwise she'd throw up, but. she watched everything, downloaded what she could, and now has the files on standby for when she gets the opportunity to release it ALL to the public.

[luv-assangiebatch]

So it starts....

I started my PrecisionMed!AU fic...we'll see how long I can go. I am also still trying to think of a title...

Julian was an intriguing man with a complicated and somewhat dangerous past.  A computer hacking genius in his teens led into a life of activism and journalism throughout his twenties and thirties.  He seemed invincible and fearless as he took on large corporations and dared to challenge national government institutions.  The website he created from his determination and brilliance allowed anonymous sources to share inside information showcasing the sins of some of the most powerful and influential people in the world.

In his never-ending quest for transparency and truth, Julian one day found himself in the crosshairs of the United States after one of their own military officers sent him an entire database of US confidential information.  Aware he was constantly tracked by the CIA and other government spies, he maintained his courage and determination in the face of such adversity.  His small team of volunteers partnered with major mainstream media outlets to expose the deepest, darkest secrets of the US which would create shockwaves for years to come.

Always so stubbornly fearless, Julian ignored the danger that constantly followed him.  He felt exposing these scandalous secrets was the best way to ensure a proper work of checks and balances for all societies across the globe.  He was clever, creative, elusive, and mysterious.  He believed he could outsmart anyone, and as his website and organization grew into a conglomerate of volunteers with unique and special talents, they all helped to protect Julian at all costs.  However, a day finally came when his most trusted colleagues helped him evade capture and incarceration, and they knew it was not safe for him to continue on this path.

Ever so headstrong, Julian did not want to back down.  This organization was his vision, the culmination of his blood, sweat, and broken sanity for over half of his life.  However, as danger continued to close in, his advisors were finally able to convince him that he needed to disappear, at least for a while, and they would continue to maintain his mission.  Julian was the face of the organization, and a very unique one at that.  He was statuesque with an ethereal, tousled, platinum blonde mane whose locks ran down the length of his slender, chiseled face.  He had deep, dark zircon eyes that shined when the light hit them just right, once they peeked out from behind the strands of hair that tended to hang over the right side of his face.  A striking man indeed, who had his share of female fans who were drawn in by his beauty and conviction.  However, it was his unique beauty that put him in danger and why his colleagues urged him to disappear for a while to save not only the mission but possibly his life.

Julian was a stubborn and prideful man.  He was no stranger to donning a disguise every now and then to avoid detection, but he refused to change himself or his look for good.  Always clever and with the help of his trusted colleagues, his hacker abilities gave way to erasing him from existence in the digital world, which in this day and age was just as good as burning a body.

Julian ended up retreating to Basel, Switzerland which was a fairly low profile corner of the political world.  A great hiding place for a political refugee such as himself.  Donations from his organization helped to get him settled, but he knew he needed to cut as many ties as possible to protect himself and his mission.  Basel was known for having a prominent biotech presence and soon enough with his doctorate and expertise in computer programming, Julian was able to land a job at a tumor profiling company as their new VP of Therapeutic Bioinformatics. While this shift in home and career was facilitated to protect himself and his original mission, he never expected to become fully immersed in it and find a whole new life—nor did he anticipate meeting her.

[chemxpert]

Understanding the FDA Early Warning System: Safeguarding Public Health

The FDA Food and Drug Administration plays an indispensable role in ensuring the safety and efficacy of drugs, biologics, and medical devices that reach the public. One of the critical mechanisms in its arsenal for protecting public health is the FDA’s Early Warning System. This system is designed to identify potential safety issues with products, including FDA approved drugs, before they reach widespread usage or cause harm. Early detection allows the FDA to take proactive measures to safeguard public health.

[positivelybeastly]

Krakoa, Year 22- 26 (?), +2 Years After Parasitic Decimation of the Wild Hunt AKA "The Salt"

How long did it take to resurrect the last members of the Wild Hunt to die? Not as long as it took to bring back everyone who died on Genosha. Still, those who hung on until those last, terrible moments when the "pretender council" doused a portion of Krakoa in salt... waited a few years. There was a queue, after all. Also, the confirmation and the digging. Preserved bodies everywhere. It was like a salty Mt. Vesuvius, only the dead wound up as mutant jerky.

And the Beast--? Well, he's sitting pretty in that neat lab of his with his experiments, and his specimens, and his database of memories from the seven or eight mutants who refused the mind wipe after their rebirth. Living memory and consent. That messy business.

He's got a nice little recording of her memories as well, the mutant woman towering over him, stinking of depression and trauma for all that she's clean and bothered to brush her teeth. Her nostrils flare as she takes in the sight of him. "My G-d," is all she says, one corner of her eye twitching in a facial tic.

(They'd found her leathery corpse wrapped around, oh, Daken or someone. There's drama now.)

Her bony, clawed hands are shaking at her sides, but she gives a sharp jerk of her chin, as if to shake away those pesky trauma-nerves, breathing in deep. Then, "My memories." In his computerized book of secrets, or whatever the hell it is. "I want to see them. In the Hunt."

He'll be wanting a 'please' at least, but she doesn't offer it up. Yet. Never mind that now is a good time for a healthy application of social lubricant.

"Beginning to end of infection."

BEAST'S LOGBOOK: IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME

The world continues to turn. Today I chose merely to drag my fingers along the skin of the globe and hurry it along rather than send it reeling - sixteen assassinations conducted by T-V-Parasite Agents, two nursery rhymes implanted in Russian national consciousness with long term intent of softening anti-mutant prejudice, release of small scale gamma encephalitis bioweapon in three American states to eradicate local chapters of anti-Krakoan protest groups.

Woolf has requested a visit, regarding my archives. Suppose will entertain her.

Which body shall I wear?

As it happens, he does Tess the courtesy of receiving her in what passes for his original body these days - he's long since forgotten which of his shells is actually the original, it's probably on ice with the rest of the backups and spares and abandoned experiments dotted all through his lab like animal food caches. But this is the one he tends to revert to most.

He's taken to cultivating more - fanciful, strains of biotech and Krakoan flora, in his old age. He's perfected his weapons, his soldiers, his spies, his ears, his eyes, his tendrils, his goodie finders, and, of course, his tomatoes. So he's moved on to psychoactives now. He meets her with a deep inhale of what looks remarkably like bottled fireflies, beckoning her inside and walking her by piles of waiting Beastflesh.

Some are recognisable as simian, feline, human, macaque, others are - less so. Some look like sculptor's clay abandoned halfway through a lazy spin on the potter's wheel. The shapes they bend into are almost strange enough to make you forget it's flesh and not actually putty. A different kind of Beast meets her no matter which way she sets her eyes.

It seems he's taken the accusation of being two faced very much to heart.

His voice is a soft purr. It's soothing, in its way, as he invites her to sit in the lab which is entirely too clean and conventional to be the real one. This is his equivalent of a sitting room. Not where he does his actual work. His chest glows with Krakoan firelight. If Tess squints, she can see his lungs through the white fur of his chest, glowing and burning and turning to cinder. He isn't even sure if anyone else can take the drugs he's taken to cultivating without sending themselves straight to the resurrection queue.

Nonetheless, he does offer some to Tess, a gleam in his eyes that betrays amusement at her request. At her desire to see the infestation, the infection, whatever you wanted to call it (he had termed it a gamma-level biological oddity - worth studying, but without long term viability for his own work. Oh, the psychological impact would be stupendous, of course, but then the clean up.)

"And the rest of the island says I'm ghoulish."

Humour has returned to him, after 20 long years. The first X-Force team, long since made redundant, would tell you he was better as a humourless bastard.

So has drama. He leans back, and the Pointe responds to his whim. The lighting changes, and they're both plunged into darkness as the biological supercomputers recall the information Tess desires, sequencing liquid memory in seconds and providing it to the master of the house like it were merely a pot of tea. He holds up a vial, golden, gleaming. Inviting. Promising answers.

A liar promising truth.

"And little humans in hell want ice water. They'll sell their souls for it - what will you offer me?"

[jcmarchi]

ApertureData Secures $8.25M Seed Funding and Launches ApertureDB Cloud to Revolutionize Multimodal AI

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/aperturedata-secures-8-25m-seed-funding-and-launches-aperturedb-cloud-to-revolutionize-multimodal-ai/

ApertureData Secures $8.25M Seed Funding and Launches ApertureDB Cloud to Revolutionize Multimodal AI

ApertureData, a company at the forefront of multimodal AI data management, has raised $8.25 million in an oversubscribed seed round to drive the development and expansion of its groundbreaking platform, ApertureDB. The round was led by TQ Ventures with participation from Westwave Capital, Interwoven Ventures, and a number of angel investors. The funding will allow ApertureData to scale its operations and launch its new cloud-based service, ApertureDB Cloud, a tool designed to simplify and accelerate the management of multimodal data, which includes images, videos, text, and related metadata.

Addressing the Multimodal Data Crisis

The growth of AI has led to an explosion in the generation of multimodal data across industries such as e-commerce, healthcare, retail, agriculture, and visual inspection. Despite this growth, most organizations struggle to effectively manage and utilize this data.  This inefficiency often hampers AI development, leading to longer project timelines and lower returns on investment.

ApertureData’s flagship product, ApertureDB, addresses this challenge head-on. It provides a unified database platform specifically built for managing large-scale multimodal data, which includes images, videos, documents, and their associated metadata. Unlike traditional databases focused on textual data, ApertureDB integrates graph and vector search capabilities, allowing businesses to streamline their AI workflows and significantly reduce the time spent on data preparation and management.

The Launch of ApertureDB Cloud

ApertureDB Cloud, the company’s new cloud-based platform, extends the power of ApertureDB, making it easier for enterprises to access and deploy their multimodal AI solutions without complex infrastructure setups. Users can now manage vast datasets with just a few clicks, utilizing ApertureDB Cloud’s advanced graph-vector search capabilities and seamless integration with AI applications. The platform offers a unified data layer that centralizes all relevant data types and metadata, providing fast and efficient querying and retrieval, which is crucial for AI development.

With the launch of ApertureDB Cloud, organizations can now try the platform with a risk-free 30-day trial, making it accessible for AI teams looking to streamline their data operations and scale their AI models.

A Game-Changer for AI and Machine Learning Pipelines

ApertureDB is designed to solve some of the biggest bottlenecks in AI development. By unifying multimodal data management, the platform offers several advantages, including:

35x faster dataset creation compared to traditional data integrations, speeding up AI project timelines.

63% reduction in network transfer of large visual data, improving operational efficiency.

Integrated vector similarity search and advanced graph search capabilities for complex data handling.

These features allow organizations to efficiently manage massive datasets, reducing the time spent on manual data preparation from months to just a few days. The platform is already deployed across multiple industries, from retail and e-commerce to biotechnology and generative AI startups. For instance, a major home furnishings retailer is using ApertureDB to manage product images and metadata, optimizing their recommendation systems and customer insights.

In the biotech sector, ApertureDB is helping AI-driven medical imaging and visual inspection applications, providing seamless access to large volumes of multimodal data.

Backed by Leading Investors

The $8.25 million seed round backing ApertureData was led by TQ Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm focused on software businesses and technology-driven startups. According to Andrew Marks, General Partner at TQ Ventures, ApertureData is uniquely positioned to be a foundational player in the emerging AI landscape:

 “ApertureData has steadily built an amazing business with a wide view on the tech stack. They knew early on that traditional databases, which are geared toward textual data, would be insufficient for managing more complex multimodal data. The quantum of multimodal data and the desire to leverage it for analysis and machine learning is likely to explode over the coming decade as we are already seeing with the growth in use cases for generative and multimodal AI. And so, the work ApertureData is doing today will be foundational towards building the best infrastructure for emerging multimodal AI applications across various industries.”

TQ Ventures, founded in 2018, has a portfolio of over 80 investments and $1 billion under management, giving ApertureData access to a broad network of resources and expertise.

Also participating in the round were Westwave Capital, a pre-seed and seed-stage enterprise investor with a focus on AI, robotics, and analytics, and Interwoven Ventures, a firm specializing in early-stage investments in AI, robotics, and healthcare technology. Both investors bring significant operational experience and industry knowledge to help ApertureData scale and refine its platform for the future of multimodal AI.

Expanding Use Cases for Multimodal Data

ApertureDB’s potential spans a wide range of applications, as industries increasingly generate multimodal data and look for ways to turn this data into actionable insights. The platform’s unique ability to integrate knowledge graphs and multimodal data search functions makes it ideal for AI-driven tasks in e-commerce, agriculture, healthcare, and beyond.

For example, in smart retail, ApertureDB allows retailers to use customer data, images, and metadata to deliver personalized product recommendations and improve the customer experience. In smart agriculture, the platform helps farmers analyze images and geolocation data to optimize farming practices. Medical imaging companies leverage ApertureDB’s ability to handle large multimodal medical datasets, facilitating advanced AI-driven diagnostics.

The Road Ahead for ApertureData

With its newly secured funding, ApertureData plans to scale production deployments, enhance its platform’s user experience, and integrate more ecosystem solutions to cater to various AI and machine learning workflows. The company is also looking to expand its marketing and sales efforts, positioning itself as a leader in multimodal AI data management.

Vishakha Gupta, CEO of ApertureData, envisions a future where the demand for multimodal AI will continue to surge:

“The increasing adoption of multimodal data in powering advanced AI experiences, including multimodal chatbots and computer vision systems, has created a significant market opportunity. As more companies look to leverage multimodality, the demand for efficient management solutions like ApertureDB is expected to grow.”

Co-founded by Vishakha Gupta and Luis Remis, both former researchers at Intel Labs with deep expertise in AI and data infrastructure, ApertureData has grown quickly in response to the needs of the modern AI landscape. Their firsthand experience with managing large datasets of visual data inspired the creation of ApertureDB, a tool that is transforming how companies handle AI and machine learning pipelines.

As enterprises increasingly look to multimodal data to drive AI innovations, ApertureData is poised to lead the charge by providing the critical infrastructure needed to handle the vast, complex datasets of the future. The company’s platform is set to play a vital role in the next generation of AI innovations, helping companies turn data into competitive advantage.

[cloudbattrolls]

Chasing Shadows

This drabble is preceded by Abrasion and followed by Malpracticer.

Gerrel meant well. He usually does. Certainly he can’t be blamed for what he said. 

Ullane goes to talk to Giorni Valtop, the man on his smoke break who was the last person to use the oddly unlocked back door. She asks him if he saw anything unusual the night Calcit died.

He thinks, and says he doesn’t recall anything aside from a mannequin popping up beside him. Ullane asks if it behaved…well, more strangely than usual.

Giorni says the idea of them behaving even more strangely is news to him, but he mentions that it did point at him, while pointing back inside with its other hand. Does that count?

Ullane is intrigued by that, then asks him if he saw anything else when he went back in. 

He taps his chin in thought. He saw a couple nurses in the corridor, some going into patients’ rooms, some into the staff room. Ixnash, Jergun, Halvir, uh…Verjik? And Oilvil.

She nods, complimenting his memory, and asking him if he recalls which went into the staff room.

He replies that he has to have a good one, what if he mixed up what patient needed which medication? He leaves himself so many post-it notes to not make that mistake…anyway, he was pretty sure Halvir was going on break. 

She smiles and thanks him, asking only if he remembers where the mannequin stood. Halvir shows her, his arms pointing both in and out.

She tells him he’ll remember how helpful he was, and he says what is a doctor for, if not to help other people?

Ullane laughs gently. That is what they’re supposed to do, yes.

Then she turns her attention back to Calcit Interg, once more asking Gerrel for his assistance.

A cursory background investigation determines that he was a noble who was really obsessed with being a detective, and also theater. The combination of dramatics and noble blood meant nobody could stop him from being a private eye or get away with admitting how grating it could get. 

He wasn't particularly notable for his fieldwork, but had managed to catch a few criminals before. He'd been seen pestering people about counterfeiting. Before turning up dead.

Ullane asks who, exactly, Calcit caught.

He figured she might say that, so he's already checked. Mostly he's only caught small time crooks, and was seen heckling a lot of anonymous caste trolls in particular about the counterfeiting, but pretty much everyone brushed him off.

Gerrel supposes Calcit must have gotten some leads, but he chose not to go any further; something about the idea made his hairs stand on end.

Ullane, frustrated but not at him, accepts that and leaves to talk to Hovend again.

She doesn’t want to endanger Gerrel and figures it’s worth a shot to see if they have anyone Calcit caught in jail, or at least records of such people.

Nobody Calcit ever brought in is still in jail, though Hovend’s also not supposed to show anyone jail records even if they were, alas.

Ullane brought Hovend a somewhat clumsily folded origami parrot, for his troubles. She understands he’s bound by the rules.

Aww, he appreciates it! It'll be afforded a place of honor on his desk.

Ullane, a bit exaggeratedly solemn, says it’s one bird for another, remembering his crane gift to her.

Leaving the station, naturally her next idea is to try to search Calcit’s hive with her little biotech bug spies, her favored method.

The hive has nothing in it, meticulously picked clean of valuables and any documents, with barely anything out of place.

Ullane suspected this might be the case and sent her bugs in prepared: they carry DNA scanners and sample collectors.

Most of it is Calcit’s, based on samples from his brief stay at the clinic. There are other samples of two or three people, unknown to her.

Though not for long, as the yellowblood uses her psiionics to reconstruct thumbprints and faces by regrowing said flesh from dna traces.

Now she has something to put into databases. 

First she runs them through criminal ones, though she suspects she won’t find much. Unsurprisingly, she doesn’t.

Undeterred, her next attempt is to match them with anyone in the financial sector.

There is a partial match for a face, listed as an ex-bank teller who quit several sweeps ago.

Ullane notes there’s no listed address or number to reach them at since they're terminated. The bank itself is an unremarkable place that caters to lowbloods specifically, Turgat's Savings & Loan.

She then runs a general search on them. It takes some digging, but they turn up again in another city entirely, apparently working as corporate security for some company with an obnoxiously dull name: "Gorsky Accounting & Liability LLC".

According to their website they obviously handle accounting, and tend to deal with sensitive information.

This might be a bit of a dead end, Ullane realizes. 

If they are Grey Mob - which seems likely - she cannot get anything out of them without…dubious methods. Methods she has tried not to use since her nights with QPIN.

She decides to try to find anyone else who knew Calcit while he was alive.

Searching around, the medic finds he had a number of Facebook friends, though the last thing he ever posted was a picture of his breakfast (A shot of whiskey with scrambled eggs) captioned as "A Most Fitting Dramatic Breakfast for the night as a Hardboiled Investigator!" 

Below it is a reply from one person saying "Those are scrambled, not hard boiled." from one friend and Calcit saying "Oh drat. That would have been far smarter."

Ullane, far more comfortable doing questionable things with illicitly obtained genetic samples than talking to someone about a potentially awkward topic, grits her teeth and decides to message one of Calcit’s friends on Facebook.

“Hello. My name is Ullane Wistim, and I am trying to solve the murder of Calcit Interg, as he perished in my clinic. I believe he may have been killed by an enemy he made, and I am trying to figure out specifically why they wanted him dead.

I apologize if this is a difficult topic, and you don’t wish to discuss it so soon. If so, I wish you the best.”

The friend at random immediately scoffs that this is a really weird prank to be pulled. Half the people Calcit talked to wanted to kill him, so, very funny.

Ullane sigh-laughs and types that this isn't a prank; if it was it wouldn't be a very good one. Why did half the people he talked to want to kill him? Because he bothered them about solving mysteries?

Because he was a persistent asshole, they answer. He couldn't abide there being no answer to a mystery, so he'd keep chasing leads and harassing people until somebody had enough piled against them to book them. Not a winner of the popularity contest, for sure.

Ullane snorts but types that yes, she can see why several people might have wanted his neck to make acquaintance with their knives. Who was the last person he was investigating, if they know?

They have no idea who, he just kept going on about 'those damned counterfeiters.' If anyone were to know, it'd be Calcit, but he's dead. 

It wasn't even money he was upset about, it was those designer jeans everyone has to buy 3 pairs of since the empress has her brand on them.

Ullane drags a hand down her face, grateful she’s not doing this in person so she doesn’t disrespect Calcit in front of his friend.

Noted, she appreciates the information. If they ever need a favor, they can contact her. Thank you.

Ullane would realize she now had to hire Gerrel to investigate jeans counterfeiters of all damn things. She tiredly asks him once again if he’d be willing and tips him extra, feeling remarkably done with the nonsensical rabbit hole that has become her life.

Jean counterfeiters? Gerrel asks. That's pretty serious stuff, he says, with complete earnestness.

Ullane, deadpan, merely remarks ‘is that so’. Well, she seriously needs him to see what he can find about them in this area. 

It is serious! He says. It's big money and highly illegal to steal the empress's work. You can undercharge compared to the empire's prices, while still letting people pass their quotas.

Ullane hasn’t the barest fuck to give but she’ll nod along. She tells him where Calcit’s hive is and informs him the blueblood took a photo about a “tip” shortly before he died, if those help.

He'll dutifully check around Calcit's hive, but as Ullane noticed, it seems to have been picked clean. Based on the "tip" occurring right before he died, it's almost certain it was an ambush by whomever he was getting close to. So there's nothing at all linking it to anyone, and clearly professional work. 

So it is very obviously a grey mob hitjob.You don't see the red scarves doing this bullshit.

She snorts, well aware. She’s just trying to gather evidence, and no, she knows very well the red scarves could never, she says with a grin laugh.

Evidence is the problem, Gerrel states. They don't leave any if they can help it. If you end up too close, you end up like Calcit. Only a professional would have cleaned out his hive so carefully, so that's a possible link. Not great evidence on its own, though.

Oh, she has a name and a face, but tracking down any more about them is going to be an issue, and obviously she can’t ask him to do it. So she’s still hitting a wall, she says bluntly.

He agrees, regretfully. They didn't become big by being sloppy.

She smiles grimly.

He's happy to still help otherwise though! He's not a stranger to risk.

She sighs. She knows, and she appreciates what he’s done very much. But she feels she may have to abandon her investigation and submit to whatever the courts decide. She doesn’t want the grey mob to retaliate against the clinic.

They wouldn't do that, not in a thousand sweeps, the maroon says.

She snorts. It might not be their usual methods, but she can’t trust that.

It's just common sense, he remarks. They thrive off being liked by the low castes. If they bomb a hospital that serves low castes, then it'll all be up in smoke.

She looks tired. They don’t have to bomb it. They could do dozens of other things to weaken it and make it unable to stay open.

Like frame the head administrator and doctor for murder? He replies.

She intentionally made the clinic able to go on without her, she says firmly. She is only one person, in the end. No, she worries far more for her staff and patients.

Gerrel looks downcast. A commendable concern. But it still feels rotten to just give up, even if it's to protect other people. Murder of a noble is a capital offense, she could be given the death penalty!

Ullane stares at him. Obviously.

So she plans to just die? He retorts. 

The yellowblood shrugs. If it protects the clinic, she would.

He supposes many of the people working there might disagree on the merits of such sacrifice.

The medic sighs. Attempting to track down this likely member of the grey mob and bring them to justice would likely be retaliated against, and that’s assuming she succeeded.

She knows their workplace, which seems like a front, she snorts, given how little she can find about it. If she finds them what is she to do? Interrogate them? She could, but that is…unethical, she says carefully.

He gives her a blank look. Those skeletons he hung up were real.

She raises her eyebrows. She’s aware. She tries to not be like that.

Anymore, is the unsaid word.

Well it's either be unethical now or get walked over by someone else to everyone's detriment. It's a simple choice to him, the butler notes.

She pauses. Well. When he puts it that way.

He's had practice at breaking things down to be simple, he smiles.

She snorts softly. She appreciates it. She supposes her path is clear now, even if it may not do any good in the end.

It's better to live on one's feet than to die on your knees. That's supposedly how the saying goes. Unsurprising that most lowbloods are reluctant to say it.

Better to live for the right thing than die for the wrong one, she says.

Indeed, it would be pretty wrong to die because a criminal syndicate decided you should.

Ullane Wistim smiles darkly, fully conscious of the irony of it all.

Point taken, says the former QPIN employee. 

Point taken, indeed.

[monarch-afterdark]

Superspecies History: Snarehunter

Welcome once again to Monarch: After Dark, the digital gateway between you and the organisation dedicated to understanding and navigating this troubled new world we live in.

We approach the finish line further and further, presenting a creature that had eluded the eyes of Monarch for many years before finally showing itself as part of a deadly plot, the Snarehunter.

(Pictured above: Artistic depiction of a Snarehunter Valkyrie carrying off a deer)

Monarch Database File: Snarehunter

Monarch Designation: Cantus formica (Snarehunter castes), Cantus silva ant (Snarehunter Queen)

Length: 1-3 feet (smaller castes), 130 feet (Snarehunter Queen)

Castes: Forager, Builder, Guardian, Valkyrie, Queen

Species Designation: Insectoid superspecies (Snarehunter castes), Insectoid florafauna (Snarehunter Queen)

Behavioural Classification: Protector (Snarehunter Queen)

-----

Monarch first learned of the Snarehunters from a casual remark by stranded WW2 pilot Hank Marlow. Whilst left alone with Monarch operatives Houston Brooks and Lin San, Marlow heard the sound of birds chirping and commented that it was actually an ant making the sounds. To quote him directly; "sounds like a bird, but it's a fucking ant". Thankfully for them, no Snarehunters appeared to menace them and Marlow's remark was left as such.

First discovered in the flesh by Monarch in 2015, Snarehunters were shown to exhibit a complex social structure between the five known castes, not too dissimilar to modern ant species. The Foragers collect resources for the colony, Builders create their hills, Guardians protect the colony from attackers and Valkyries go out hunting.

The Queen, growing to sizes rivalling smaller Titans, is rarely seen above ground and is almost entirely focused on reproduction to keep the colony's numbers strong. Queens will only emerge if their colony is under serious threat or destroyed outright.

Typically a passive species, the Snarehunters first encountered by Monarch were driven into a frenzied state by a biological pathogen created by Janos Biotech, which had infected a colony once it made its way to the island.

(Pictured above: Artistic rendition of Kong battling an infected Snarehunter Queen, circa. 2015)

In 2015, during a mission to Skull Island to investigate the mysterious Janos Biotech, a Monarch expedition team uncovered bioweapon experiments the organisation was conducting on a hijacked vessel stationed in the island's waters. After seeing what the bioweapon could do to Skull Island's fauna, Monarch uncovered that the fungus had gotten onto the island itself and infected a colony of Snarehunters, driving them into a frenzy.

Meeting with Houston Brooks and his son Aaron near Monarch Outpost 33, the Monarch team quickly got to work creating an antidote, planning to administer it to the Snarehunter Queen, so she wouldn't produce an infected colony and overrun the island. Assisting Kong in his battle with the infected Queen, Monarch were successfully able to administer the antidote. Though Kong ultimately killed the Queen anyway, the antidote was administered to other infected Snarehunters, ensuring the colony would survive.

It is unknown if the Snarehunter colony, or any others, survived the ravaging of the island in 2021. While others may persist in Hollow Earth, this has yet to be confirmed.

-----

And that's all she wrote for the Snarehunter! While we remain hopeful that the Snarehunters are among the surviving species on a post-2021 Skull Island (after all, surely not all of the bird calls we hear are birds, right?), we cannot be certain as of right now.

Until next time,

Monarch: After Dark