One of the biggest users of scientific computing cycles in Europe is a bioinformatics application — genome-wide searches for 'non-coding RNAs' (ncRNAs) routinely monopolize 1000 computers for an entire month. ncRNAs are functional RNA molecules that do not code for proteins. Covariance Models (CMs), statistical models based on probabilistic context-free grammars, are the leading approach to describing ncRNA families and searching for new members.   In this colloquia, Larry Ruzzo describes his development of novel algorithms to make CMs faster, which allows genome databases to be scanned in days instead of years, and can greatly facilitate biological discovery. From the Series:CSE Colloquia - 2005