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Lecture 1 (Introduction to Bioinformatics) a9eecfb747bd7be85ef830f58045ee52

Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that merges biology, computer science, and information technology to analyze biological data. It encompasses the development of tools and algorithms for managing large datasets, aiding in genome decoding, personalized medicine, and drug discovery. The field relies on various biological databases and data types, including DNA and protein sequences, to support its analyses.

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2 views21 pages

Lecture 1 (Introduction to Bioinformatics) a9eecfb747bd7be85ef830f58045ee52

Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that merges biology, computer science, and information technology to analyze biological data. It encompasses the development of tools and algorithms for managing large datasets, aiding in genome decoding, personalized medicine, and drug discovery. The field relies on various biological databases and data types, including DNA and protein sequences, to support its analyses.

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BIOINFORMATICS

Introduction to bioinformatics
Lecture #1

Anas Abdelrahman Elzein


PhD Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Zhejiang University

January 2025
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DEFINITION OF BIOINFORMATICS
Bioinformatics = Biology + Informatics

• Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that combines biology,


computer science, and information technology to analyze and
interpret biological data.
• It involves developing tools and algorithms to store, organize, and
analyze large datasets, such as DNA sequences, protein structures,
and gene expression data.
• Bioinformatics plays a key role in understanding biological processes,
predicting disease risks, and developing personalized medicine.

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The field of science in which biology, computer science and
information technology merge into a single discipline

Biologists
collect molecular data:
DNA & Protein sequences,
gene expression, etc. Bioinformaticians
Answer biological
questions by analyzing
molecular data

Computer scientists
(+Mathematicians, Statisticians, etc.)
Develop tools, softwares, algorithms
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to store and analyze the data.


Types of biological experiments

Before the era of bioinformatics, only two ways of performing biological


experiments were available:
- Within a living organism (so-called in vivo)

- In an artificial environment (so-called in vitro, from the Latin in glass).

Bioinformatics (in silico biology), from the silicon chips on which


microprocessors in computers are built.
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Applications of bioinformatics
1. Manages Big Data: Handles massive biological datasets like DNA
sequences and protein structures.
2. Decodes Genomes: Helps sequence and analyze genomes to understand
genetic information.
3. Enables Personalized Medicine: Modifies treatments based on individual
genetic profiles.
4. Accelerates Drug Discovery: Predicts drug targets and designs new
therapies.
5. Studies Proteins: Predicts protein structures and functions to
understand diseases.
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Applications of bioinformatics
6. Analyzes Gene Expression: Identifies genes active in specific conditions
(e.g., cancer).
7. Explores Evolution: Compares genomes to study evolutionary
relationships.

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Prediction of the secondary structure of protein (including 3D structure)

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• Data visualization in Genome browsers:

This allows graphic display of different types of information, such as


gene density in a chromosome, distance between specific genes
along the chromosome, map position of genes in specific
cytogenetic bands, map position of a disease-related gene in a
gene neighborhood, … etc.

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• Analysis and construction of phylogenetic Tree:

Relationships by multiple sequence alignment, most


often of protein or rDNA sequences. These methods help
to identify evolutionary relationships between organisms
at the sequence level, and aid the identification of
functionally important regions of DNA, RNA and proteins.

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PHYLOGENETIC TREE

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Personalized Medicine

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Components of Bioinformatics

data
database
Database mining tools
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DATA

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Biological Information (Databases)
Bioinformatic analysis requires data (such as sequence information),
databases, and analysis tools. Databases are built from data obtained through
wet laboratory experiments.

1. DNA sequence: Originally from sequencing of cloned fragments and


Genes.
2. RNA sequence: Most often derived from the sequence of RNA, (e.g.
ribosomal RNA genes).
3. Protein sequence: Originally determined by Machine\Lab ( e.g. by mass
spectrometry). However, recently derived by the theoretical translation of
protein-coding regions identified in DNA sequences.

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4. Expressed sequence tags (ESTs): Short sequences of random
cDNAs derived from the mRNA of particular species, tissues, etc.

5. Structural data: Derived from X-ray crystallography and nuclear


magnetic resonance (NMR), consisting of three-dimensional coordinates
of the atoms in a protein, DNA, or RNA structure, or of a complex, such as
a DNA– protein or enzyme-substrate complex.

6. Data from the analysis of transcription across whole genomes


(transcriptomics).

7. Data from analysis of the expressed protein complement of


cells or tissues under particular circumstances(proteomics).

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Biological databases

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