Life sciences researchers collect and analyze a high amount of different types of scientific data, including DNA, RNA and amino acid sequences, in situ and microarray gene expression data, protein structures and biological pathways, and biological signals and images of diverse origin. In the recent years, a wealth of bioinformatics applications in the fields of fundamental and applied life sciences has changed the paradigm of both research and exploitation of knowledge in life sciences. The development of novel and powerful bioinformatics tools dedicated to biological data acquisition, data mining, and analysis empowered both the basic and applied research in scientific areas of life sciences, spanning from molecular biology to the development of novel biomedical tools. These bioinformatics developments span from tools for genome annotation and function prediction, gene expression analyses, and databases of biological information, to the emerging fields of biomedical applications of research, including the development of new bioinformatics-based devices and predictive applications.

The main goal of this special issue is to gather recent advances in bioinformatics applications in the broad area of basic and applied life sciences including biomedical applications. Submission of manuscripts describing novel bioinformatics tools, as well as novel results and applications obtained with already existing bioinformatics tools, in an interdisciplinary perspective and human health-oriented, is especially encouraged. We also invite manuscripts describing novel bioinformatics tools and/or databases for fundamental and applied research in the broad range of biological and biomedical sciences.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Comparative omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and methylomics)
• In silico methods for modulation of regulatory networks and metabolic pathways
• Structural bioinformatics
• Informatics of disease diagnosis and drug design