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One can also say that bioinformatics does not decipher the language of life, but all of

them. And these languages are characterized by the fact that they are all defined by the

context, the coherence of meaning in the living cell (Chap. 12). In fact, life is always

inventing new levels of language. Humans and our civilization do similar things: modern

communication media, natural languages, programming languages, and even the Internet.

We now know the molecular language of life so well that we can use it deliberately (syn­

thetic biology), for example, to make new biological computer chips from nanocellulose,

DNA, and light-guided proteins (Chap. 13). Mutations lead to misunderstandings in bio­

logical signalling resulting for example in cancer (Chap. 14).

Modern bioinformatics benefits greatly from advances in artificial intelligence

research. We can describe more and more precisely how and where humans differ from

computers and how this can again be used for new bioinformatic insights (Chap. 14). Even

the presumably most complex object of our universe to which we have direct access, our

brain, its neurobiology as well as even higher brain processes as a prerequisite for our

consciousness can be described, modelled and analysed much better by bioinformatics

and simulations and models than before (Chap. 15). More generally, the systems biology

insights of bioinformatics, the unimagined large amounts of data now available to us, also

allow global insights, for example, into bioinformatics models of ecosystems (e.g., cli­

mate and population dynamics). Increasing digitization will soon lead to the “Internet of

Things.” Where is each thing and how do all the components interact? However, global

digitalisation can also lead to control, synchronisation and steering via the internet.

Countermeasures are transparency, protection of personal freedom and personality on the

Internet. However, bioinformatics also helps to positively translate the “Internet of

Things” into modern molecular biology, supports new biotechnology, molecular medi­

cine and accelerated drug design, and sheds light on pandemics such as COVID-19

(Chap. 16).

3.1

No Black and White: Fascinating Shades of Individuality

1

The page https://software.broadinstitute.org/gatk/guide/article?id = 7869#1.3 shows a

tutorial on how to bioinformatically process this genome sequence.

Everyone, all of us like that, carries around a significant amount of small, medium, and

more severe genetic “errors” (in various shades in the figure). However, whether these

come to fruition depends on (i) the unpredictable combination of parental chromosomes,

often the diploid chromosome sets rebalance, and (ii) the environment in which we live.

What Is Catching and Fascinating About Bioinformatics?