Harnessing The Web And Supercomputers To Track Pathogens As They Evolve

Pathogens can now be easily tracked in time and space as they evolve, an advance that could revolutionize both public health and inform national security in the fight against infectious diseases. Developed by researchers that include scientists at the American Museum of Natural History, Supramap (supramap.osu.edu) is a new, powerful, web-based application that maps genetic mutations like those among the different strains of avian influenza onto the globe.