Initially for evaluation purposes only, Giovanni and Bartek have setup a mirror of Biopython on GitHub, which is automatically updated from the OBF hosted Biopython CVS repository. See our git migration wiki page for details. If this is favorably received, then moving Biopython from CVS to git seems likely at some point this year. Originally, all the OBF hosted projects used CVS for their source code repositories.

A wiki page for collecting ideas, possible projects, prerequisites, possible solution approaches, mentors, other people or channels to contact for more information or to bounce ideas off of, etc.

All, I am proud to announce that the 1.6 release for BioPerl-run, BioPerl- db, and BioPerl-network are now available by direct download and via CPAN. These are designated as 1.006000, with a requirement for BioPerl 1.6 and higher (1.006000). FIXED: Bio::Tools::Run::Primer3 now accepts primer3 or primer3_core as executable names Bio::Tools::Run::Vista tests now pass if Vista.jar is installed.

Please forward as appropriate and forgive multiple postings.

Google is committed to run the Summer of Code program again this year. It will be for the 5th time. In broad strokes, the program funds what you might call remote summer internships for students to contribute to an open-source software project.

O|B|F News feed is now available in Twitter! You are welcome to follow us. Cheers, The O|B|F Admins.

Release Pumpkin Chris Fields has announced the release of BioPerl 1.6 - the first stable release in a several years containing many significant improvements and bug fixes.

RC4 is up, we are days away from final release…

Belated, and probably most of you knew already, but just in case you didn’t, the 2009 Bioinformatics Open Source Conference (BOSC) was accepted on Dec 16 as a Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting by the respective ISMB 2009 review committee. Special thanks and congratulations to Kam Dahlquist, who agreed again this year to chair the conference, and who pulled the proposal together.

The minutes of the November 2008 O|B|F Board of Directors meeting have been posted. The most important result of that meeting is that Kam Dahlquist was elected to the Board, bringing the number of Board members back to four. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Kam! We aim to elect additional Directors this year, please contact the Nominating Committee if you are interested in serving, or if you know people who might be.

BioPerl has branched for 1.6 and the RC1 is up for testing as Chris announced.