As the genomics revolution gathers pace, mathematicians have been enlisted to enable analysis of the gigabytes of data generated in gene sequencing. Conrad Burden, of the Mathematical Sciences Institute and the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University, is at the forefront of bioinformatics.

He is working on faster, more accurate mathematical algorithms to scrutinise genetic sequence data to work out the relationship between individuals or species. The method is expected to find applications in evolutionary genetics and studies of gene regulation -- the process by which genes are switched on or off.

He says bioinformatics is an expanding field. "It's going to need more and more mathematicians." Burden previously worked in subatomic particle physics but says mathematicians have the flexibility to apply their knowledge to many fields. "Once you have a basic, solid grounding in maths, you can apply it to other areas as well."