BIOINFORMATICS
Read the following words and word combinations and use them for understanding and translation of the text:
undertaking - , ,
inherently -
gene -
intricate - ,
protein folding -
unlikely - ,
to harness -
simulation -
makeup - , ,
advent - ,
predator -
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sophisticated -
feasible - ,
to probe - ,
to bridge the gap -
emergent behavior -
to inspire - ,
Broadly speaking, bioinformatics (and the related field of computational biology) is the application of mathematical and information-science techniques to biology. This undertaking is inherently difficult because a living organism represents such a complex interaction of chemical processes. As more has been learned about the genome of humans and other organisms, it has become increasingly clear that the programs represented by gene sequences are interpreted through complex interactions of genes and the environment. Given this complexity, the great strides that have been made in genetics and the detailed study of metabolic and other biological processes would have been impossible without advances in computing and computer science.
Application to genetics.
Since information in the form of DNA sequences is the heart of genetics, information science plays a key role in understanding its significance and expression. The sequences of genes that determine the makeup and behavior of organisms can be represented and manipulated as strings of symbols using, for example, indexing and search algorithms. It is thus natural that the advent of powerful computer workstations and automated lab equipment would lead to the automation of gene sequencing, comparing or determining the relationship between corresponding sequences. The completion of the sequencing of the human genome well ahead of schedule was thus a triumph of computer science as well as biology.
From genes to protein.
Gene sequences are only half of many problems in biology. Computational techniques are also being increasingly applied to the analysis and simulation of the many intricate chemical steps that link genetic information to expression in the form of particular protein and its three-dimensional structure in the process known as protein folding. The development of better algorithms and more powerful computing architectures for such analysis can further speed up research, avoid wasteful dead ends, and bring effective treatments for cancer and other serious diseases to market sooner. The unlikely platform of a Sony PlayStation 3 and its powerful processor has been harnessed to turn gamers idle time to the processing of protein-folding data in the Folding@Home project.
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Simulation
A variety of other types of biological computer simulation have been employed. Examples include the chemical components that are responsible for metabolic activity in organisms, the structure of the nervous system and the brain (neural network), and the interaction of multiple predators and food sources in an ecosystem. Simulations can also incorporate algorithms first devised by artificial intelligence researchers (genetic algorithms). Simulations are combined with sophisticated graphics to enable researchers to visualize structure. Visualization algorithms developed for biomedical research can also be applied to the development of advanced MRI and other scans for use in diagnosis and therapy.
A fruitful relationship
Bioinformatics has been one of the hottest areas in computing in recent years, often following trends in the broader biotech sector. This challenging field involves such diverse subjects as genetics, biochemistry, physiology, mathematics (structural and statistical), database analysis and search techniques, simulation, modeling, graphics and image analysis. Major projects often involve close cooperation between bioinformatics specialists and other researchers. Researchers must also consider how the availability of ever-increasing computing power might make previously impossible projects feasible.
The relationship between biology and computer science seems destined to be even more fruitful in coming years. As software tools allow researchers to probe ever more deeply into biological processes and to bridge the gap between physics, biochemistry, and the emergent behavior of the living organisms, understanding of those processes may in turn inspire the creation of new architectures and algorithms in areas such as artificial intelligence and robotics.
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DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) - ()- , , .
Folding@Home -
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) -
Assignments
