Bioinformatics is basically an interdisciplinary field that develops methods and software tools to analyze and understand biological data. This field combines many sciences, including computer science, statistics, mathematics and engineering in order to interpret the data. It is both an umbrella term for the bigger body of biological studies that uses computer programming as part of the methods to refer to analysis in the field genomics.
A common use of bioinformatics includes the identification of genes and nucleotides. This method is used to better understand the basis of disease, adaptations, and agricultural species. In a more general explanation, bioinformatics tries to understand principles within nucleic acid and protein sequences. Computers became essential in molecular biology when protein sequences finally became available after Frederick Sanger solved the sequence of insulin in the early 1950's.
A common use of bioinformatics includes the identification of genes and nucleotides. This method is used to better understand the basis of disease, adaptations, and agricultural species. In a more general explanation, bioinformatics tries to understand principles within nucleic acid and protein sequences. Computers became essential in molecular biology when protein sequences finally became available after Frederick Sanger solved the sequence of insulin in the early 1950's.
Computing has come along way in the field of biology. Currently computational biology has been able to help map and analyze DNA and protein sequences, build models of vital organs, and even validate and create pharmeceutical drugs. Even though such advancements have been made, the future still holds many bright ideas and creations to come.
Bioinformatics is such a revolutionary field that because of the hard work of many professionals, diseases like cancer now have a higher chance of being managed and understood. Thanks to computer science, we know have fields like bioinformatics that can ultimately change the way we cure diseases and the way we study them.
References:
http://graduatedegrees.online.njit.edu/mscs-resources/mscs-infographics/bioinformatics-how-computer-science-is-changing-biology/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioinformatics
http://www.novozymes.com/en/-/media/Novozymes/en/about-us/our-business/industrial-biotechnology/basic-technologies/PublishingImages/Bioinformatics.png?la=en&hash=275354E1041BA57F24B7ABC0828D6B1E2A19597F
https://www.stcorp.nl/media/pages/57/bioinformatics.jpg
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This was a very thought-provoking article. It is incredible that computers are able to create drugs and build models of organs. I could see how the models of organs would be especially helpful in order for medical students, or surgeons to completely understand what is wrong with a patient, because they are able to have a three dimensional representation of the issue. As this technology improves, hopefully we will be better able to fight some of the diseases prevalent today.
ReplyDeleteBioinformatics sounds like a very interesting field. I wonder when the time will come where they can actually replicate organs, and fix DNA sequences that may be cancerous.
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