247: Digital Biology: Data Quality in the Age of AI

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into biological research, the quality of the data used to develop these technologies is more important than ever. But what exactly is digital biology, and why does data quality matter? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Jonathan Jacobs, PhD, Senior Director of Bioinformatics at ATCC, to explore digital biology and the challenges associated with biological and genomic data. Dr. Jacobs discusses the importance of metadata, common issues with publicly available genomic databases, and why connecting digital information to authenticated biological materials is essential for reproducibility and reliable research. The conversation also explores how data quality can affect AI models, the role of existing standards, and what researchers can do to improve the accuracy, completeness, and usefulness of the data they generate and share. And, as always, stay until the end to hear Dr. Jacobs' favorite microorganism and what makes it so fascinating to him!   Resources Learn more about ATCC: https://www.atcc.org/ Stay connected with Let's Talk Micro: Website: letstalkmicro.com Questions or feedback? Email me at letstalkmicro@outlook.com Interested in being a guest on Let's Talk Micro? Fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/V2fT3asjfyusmqyi8 Support the podcast: Venmo Buy me a Ko-fi