Bioinformatics: History, Coverage, Components and Applications

Read this article to learn about the history, coverage, components and applications of bioinformatics.

The bioinformatics covers many specialized and advanced areas of biology. Such areas are: (1) Functional Genomics (2) Structural Genomics (3) Comparative Genomics (4) DNA Microarrays and (5) Medical Informatics.

Bioinformatics is the combination (or marriage) of biology and information technology. Basically, bioinformatics is a recently developed science using information to understand biological phenomenon. It broadly involves the computational tools and methods used to manage, analyse and manipulate volumes and volumes of biological data.

Bioinformatics may also be regarded as a part of the computational biology. The latter is concerned with the application of quantitative analytical techniques in modeling and solving problems in the biological systems. Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary approach requiring advanced knowledge of computer science, mathematics and statistical methods for the understanding of biological phenomena at the molecular level.

History and Relevance of Bioinformatics:

The term bioinformatics was first introduced in 1990s. Originally, it dealt with the management and analysis of the data pertaining to DNA, RNA and protein sequences. As the biological data is being produced at an unprecedented rate, its management and interpretation invariably requires bioinformatics. Thus, bioinformatics now includes many other types of biological data.

Some of the most important ones are listed below:

i. Gene expression profiles

ii. Protein structure

iii. Protein interactions

iv. Microarrays (DNA chips)

v. Functional analysis of biomolecules

vi. Drug designing.

Bioinformatics is largely (not exclusively) a computer-based discipline. Computers are in fact very essential to handle large volumes of biological data, their storage and retrieval. We have to accept the fact that there is no computer on earth (however advanced) which can store information, and perform the functions like a living cell. Thus a highly complex information technology lies right within the cells of an organism. This primarily includes the organism’s genes and their dictates for the organism’s biological processes and behaviour.

Broad Coverage of Bioinformatics:

Bioinformatics covers many specialized and advanced areas of biology.

Functional genomics:

Identification of genes and their respective functions.

Structural genomics:

Predictions related to functions of proteins.

Comparative genomics:

For understanding the genomes of different species of organisms.

DNA microarrays:

These are designed to measure the levels of gene expression in different tissues, various stages of development and in different diseases.

Medical informatics:

This involves the management of biomedical data with special referee to biomolecules, in vitro assays and clinical trials.

Components of Bioinformatics:

Bioinformatics comprises three components:

1. Creation of databases:

This involves the organizing, storage and management the biological data sets. The databases are accessible to researchers to know the existing information and submit new entries, e.g. protein sequence data bank for molecular structure. Databases will be of no use until analysed.

2. Development of algorithms and statistics:

This involves the development of tools and resources to determine the relationship among the members of large data sets e.g. comparison of protein sequence data with the already existing protein sequences.

3. Analysis of data and interpretation:

The appropriate use of components 1 and 2 (given above) to analyse the data and interpret the results in a biologically meaningful manner. This includes DNA, RNA and protein sequences, protein structure, gene expression profiles and biochemical pathways.

Bioinformatics and the Internet:

The internet is an international computer network. A computer network involves a group of computers that can communicate (usually over a telephone system) and exchange data between users. It is the internet protocol (IP) that determines how the packets of information are addressed and routed over the network. To access the internet, a computer must have the correct hardware (modem/ network card), appropriate software and permission for access to network. For this purpose, one has to subscribe to an internet service provider (ISP).

World Wide Web (www):

www involves the exchange of information over the internet using a programme called browser. The most widely used browsers are Internet explorer and Netscape navigator.

Applications of Bioinformatics:

The advent of bioinformatics has revolutionized the advancements in biological science. And biotechnology is largely benefited by bioinformatics. The best example is the sequencing of human genome in a record time which would not have been possible without bioinformatics.

A selected list of applications of bioinformatics is given below:

i. Sequence mapping of biomolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins).

ii. Identification of nucleotide sequences of functional genes.

iii. Finding of sites that can be cut by restriction enzymes.

iv. Designing of primer sequence for polymerase chain reaction.

v. Prediction of functional gene products.

vi. To trace the evolutionary trees of genes.

vii. For the prediction of 3-dimensional structure of proteins.

viii. Molecular modelling of biomolecules.

ix. Designing of drugs for medical treatment.

x. Handling of vast biological data which otherwise is not possible.

xi. Development of models for the functioning various cells, tissues and organs.

The above list of applications however, may be treated as incomplete, since at present there is no field in biological sciences that does not involve bioinformatics.