The sequencing of the human genome has resulted in the emergence of an enormously important new branch in the biotechnological sciences. The most common terms for this field are bioinformatics or computational biology.

You may have read about the discovery, recently, of a new and radically more effective mosquito repellent. Based on molecules found in black pepper, it was not discovered using traditional laboratory methods. Instead, it came about through computer simulations based on knowledge of mosquito cell biology. This is just the tip of the bioinformatics iceberg.

Until recently, cell biology has been something of a “black box.” We could observe how cells functioned, but had little insight into the actual mechanisms. Now, though, scientists are learning how cells work on the molecular level.

Using mathematical models and new technologies for detecting molecular processes, researchers are extracting raw data from DNA and modeling the ways genes work and interact. To understand this

Currently, medicine is, to a large degree, a “one size fits all” proposition. Doctors watch for adverse effects and check personal and family histories. Medical technologies, however, are designed for the general population, not individuals. That’s going to change.

Moreover, there will be huge profit opportunities, in many enabling technologies, for those who invest accordingly. And today I’m going to tell you about a company that will hand you your best chance to make a transformational fortune.

We know that many current treatments work on some people, yet not others. Some drugs are safe for many people, but have dangerous side effects for others. This is because all of us have individual differences in our genetic code based on heredity and environment. Even slight differences can lead to very different reactions to medications.

This has created serious regulatory problems. Drugs are denied regulatory approval not because they do not work, but because some

Bond bubble remerges… details behind the gov’s latest debt struggle… The slow demise of snail mail… USPS forecasts record losses… Customized drugs: Patrick Cox on a breakthrough set to revolutionize health care… Bill Jenkins with another sign the euro is overvalued… his price targets below…

Just when you thought the bond bubble was being saved for another day…

The government managed to auction $39 billion worth of 5-year debt yesterday… barely. Wednesday’s debt sale drew a bid-to-cover ratio of 1.92, the lowest investor demand since September 2008. Low demand forced Uncle Sam to jack up interest rates at the last minute in two separate bond auctions this week — yesterday’s sale and Tuesday’s $42 billion auction of 2-year notes.

So what’s an indebted government to do? Manipulate the market, of course. Bond yields have given back yesterday’s spike partly thanks to the Federal Reserve, which bought $3

There’s something about having servants – even if they seem to love their jobs – that is vaguely disturbing. It offends many Americans’ sense of egalitarianism. But robots are different. They aren’t human. And that’s a big part of their potential appeal. They don’t eat, they don’t get offended and they don’t ask for pay raises. So if a robot could do what a human servant could do, wouldn’t you want a robot?

They’ll keep our homes, track our finances and clean up after our pets. Best of all, they’ll be robotic. So you won’t have to feel guilty. You won’t even have to tip them! Within a few years, truly sophisticated consumer robots will be common in high-income households. Before you know it, incredibly capable general-purpose robots will be seen as essential appliances.

It’s funny how hard it is for people to accept big, obvious change. Even when