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Volume 4 Issue 2, February 2024

Inferring algorithms from data

Data-driven discovery of algorithms is an important task for uncovering the underlying logic and rules behind experimental data and can be potentially used by researchers for generating new insights hidden in high-dimensional data. In this issue, Milo M. Lin et al. introduce an approach that makes use of a neurobiologically inspired deep learning algorithm for writing interpretable and executable computer code from data. The method is able to discover algorithms that perform very similarly to or that outperform human-designed ones. The cover image depicts source code that was transformed into an image featuring bands and gaps, similar to a DNA autoradiogram.

See Milo M. Lin et al. and Joseph Bakarji

Image: WEB2DNA-BAEKDAL.COM / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY. Cover design: Alex Wing

Editorial

  • We discuss the different formats for publishing non-primary research that are currently supported by Nature Computational Science.

    Editorial

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Comment & Opinion

  • We highlight the challenges and opportunities in organic redox flow battery research, underscoring the need for collaborative research efforts. The synergy between computation and experimentation holds the potential to expedite progress in this field and can have far-reaching impacts beyond energy storage applications.

    • Yang Cao
    • Alán Aspuru-Guzik
    Comment
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News & Views

  • One of the greatest limitations of deep neural networks is the difficulty of interpreting what they learn from the data. Deep distilling addresses this problem by extracting human-comprehensible and executable code from observations.

    • Joseph Bakarji
    News & Views
  • A method for correcting errors in the spatial-genetic reconstruction of DNA microscopy is proposed, leading to more accurate results and potential to resolve new biology.

    • Joshua Weinstein
    News & Views
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Reviews

  • As computation is increasingly integrated into drug research and development, this Perspective analyzes company business models, funding and deals to provide unique insights into risks and opportunities in this quickly maturing industry, which aims to expedite the creation of life-saving therapeutics.

    • Chloe Markey
    • Samuel Croset
    • Daniel Reker
    Perspective
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Research

  • Automated algorithm discovery has been difficult for artificial intelligence given the immense search space of possible functions. Here explainable neural networks are used to discover algorithms that outperform those designed by humans.

    • Paul J. Blazek
    • Kesavan Venkatesh
    • Milo M. Lin
    Article
  • The authors introduce two cellular barcoding tools: CellBarcode, for extracting and filtering diverse DNA barcodes from bulk and single-cell sequencing data; and CellBarcodeSim, for simulating barcoding experiments, thus enabling the investigation of the impact of biological and technical factors on barcode detection.

    • Wenjie Sun
    • Meghan Perkins
    • Anne-Marie Lyne
    Resource Open Access
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