Bioinformatics The application of computer technology to the management of biological information

Background 1978 Paulien Hogeweg the study of information processes in biotic systems Evolved so much that the most pressing task now involves the analysis and interpretation of various types of data Primary goal = to increase the understanding of biological processes

Major Research Areas Sequence analysis – Shotgun sequencing Genome annotation Computational evolutionary biology Literature analysis Analysis of gene expression Analysis of regulation

Major Research Areas Analysis of protein expression Analysis of mutations in cancer Comparative genomics Modeling biological systems High-throughput image analysis Structural bioinformatic approaches – Prediction of protein structure – Molecular interaction

Applications Molecular medicine – More drug targets – Personalized medicine – Preventative medicine – Gene therapy

Applications Microbial genome applications – Waste cleanup – Climate change – Alternative energy sources – Biotechnology – Antibiotic resistance – Forensic analysis of microbes – Bioweapon creation – Evolutionary studies

Applications Agriculture – Crops – Insect resistance – Imporve nutritional quality – Crops in poor soil and that are drought resistant Animals Comparative studies