WhatIsBioinformatics.pptVIP

Bioinformatics Robert Holland Jon Reckner Jason Shields What Is Bioinformatics? Bioinformatics is the unified discipline formed from the combination of biology, computer science, and information technology. The mathematical, statistical and computing methods that aim to solve biological problems using DNA and amino acid sequences and related information.“ –Frank Tekaia A Molecular Alphabet Most large biological molecules are polymers, ordered chains of simple molecules called monomers All monomers belong to the same general class, but there are several types with distinct and well-defined characteristics Many monomers can be joined to form a single, large macromolecule; the ordering of monomers in the macromolecule encodes information, just like the letters of an alphabet Related Fields:Computational Biology The study and application of computing methods for classical biology Primarily concerned with evolutionary, population and theoretical biology, rather than the cellular or molecular level Related Fields:Medical Informatics The study and application of computing methods to improve communication, understanding, and management of medical data Generally concerned with how the data is manipulated rather than the data itself Related Fields:Cheminformatics The study and application of computing methods, along with chemical and biological technology, for drug design and development Related Fields:Genomics Analysis and comparison of the entire genome of a single species or of multiple species A genome is the set of all genes possessed by an organism Genomics existed before any genomes were completely sequenced, but in a very primitive state Related Fields:Proteomics Study of how the genome is expressed in proteins, and of how these proteins function and interact Concerned with the actual states of specific cells, rather than the potential states described by the genome Related Fields:Pharmacogenomics The application of genomic methods to identify drug targets For e