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Bioinformatics uses computers to store and analyze molecular biology information, including DNA sequences, and can be used to infer evolutionary change, predict protein structures, and search for cancer. The field is set to grow as computing power increases and genetic databases expand.
Bioinformatics is a field that uses computers to store and analyze molecular biology information. Using this information in a digital format, bioinformatics can then solve molecular biology problems, predict structures and even simulate macromolecules. In a more general sense, bioinformatics can be used to describe any use of computers for the purposes of biology, but the specific definition of molecular biology is by far the most common.
In the early 21st century, scientists began sequencing the genomes of entire species and storing them on computers, enabling the use of bioinformatics to model and track a variety of fascinating things. One such application is to infer evolutionary change in a species. By examining a genome and seeing how it changes over time, evolutionary biologists can actually trace evolution as it occurs.
The best-known application of bioinformatics is sequence analysis. In sequence analysis, DNA sequences from various organisms are stored in databases for easy retrieval and comparison. The well-reported Human Genome Project is an example of bioinformatics for sequence analysis. Using huge computers and various sequence collection methods, the entire human genome was sequenced and archived within a structured database.
DNA sequences used for bioinformatics can be collected in several ways. One method is to examine a genome and look for individual sequences to record and archive. Another method is to simply take huge amounts of fragments and compare them all, finding entire sequences by overlapping the redundant segments. The latter method, known as shotgun sequencing, is currently the most popular due to its ease and speed.
By comparing the known sequences of a genome to specific mutations, a lot of information can be gleaned about undesirable mutations such as cancers. With the complete mapping of the human genome, bioinformatics has become very important in the search for cancer in the hope of an eventual cure.
Computers are also used to collect and store larger data about species. The Species 2000 project, for example, aims to collect a wealth of information about every species of plant, fungus and animal on earth. This information can then be used for a variety of applications, including monitoring changes in populations and biomes.
There are many other applications of bioinformatics, including predicting whole protein strands, learning how genes are expressed in various species, and building complex models of whole cells. As computing power increases and our databases of genetic and molecular information expand, the realm of bioinformatics is set to grow and change dramatically, allowing us to build models of incredible complexity and utility.
