Edited by
Chau-wen Tseng, University of Maryland
Marvin Zelkowitz, Ph.D., MS, BS., University of Maryland, Department of Computer Science, College Park, USA
Description
The field of bioinformatics and computational biology arose due to the need to apply techniques from computer science, statistics, informatics,
and applied mathematics to solve biological problems. Scientists have been trying to study biology at a molecular level using techniques
derived from biochemistry, biophysics, and genetics. Progress has greatly accelerated with the discovery of fast and inexpensive automated
DNA sequencing techniques.
As the genomes of more and more organisms are sequenced and assembled, scientists are discovering many
useful facts by tracing the evolution of organisms by measuring changes in their DNA, rather than through physical characteristics alone.
This has led to rapid growth in the related fields of phylogenetics, the study of evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms,
and comparative genomics, the study of the correspondence between genes and other genomic features in different organisms. Comparing
the genomes of organisms has allowed researchers to better understand the features and functions of DNA in individual organisms, as well
as provide insights into how organisms evolve over time.
The first four chapters of this book focus on algorithms for comparing the
genomes of different organisms. Possible concrete applications include identifying the basis for genetic diseases and tracking the development
and spread of different forms of Avian flu. As researchers begin to better understand the function of DNA, attention has begun shifting
towards the actual proteins produced by DNA. The final two chapters explore proteomic techniques for analyzing proteins directly to identify
their presence and understand their physical structure.
Included in series
Advances In Computers
Audience:
Research Libraries, Individuals
