18

• Undeniably, sequence analysis is currently the field of bioinformatics that is growing

the fastest, producing the quickest results, and allowing initial insights into biology.

Hence, in the later chapters, there is sequence analysis software that allows us to quickly

trace partial results. It is crucial to be able to learn about this software on the web and

practice the different setting options.

• The tutorials and exercises encourage you to do so. Results from different software

programs check each other. If they all examine the same sequence, it is always about

the same biology, and contradictions then indicate that something was overlooked in

the function assignment and must be checked. Sound biological knowledge should cri­

tique the results, experiments or further data then corroborate the bioinformatic results.

Programming sequence comparison software and databases is useful if this enables a

better analysis of the biological question - in all other cases, it is better to use the

numerous software that is already available. The internet is only a mouse click away. ◄

Outlook

In addition to protein sequence analysis (Chap. 1), RNA (Chap. 2) and DNA sequences

(Chap. 3) are important for rapid bioinformatics analysis and description of important

molecules of the cell. Next, one would like to understand how these important molecules

of the living cell (DNA, RNA, and proteins) interact in networks. These bioinformatic

analyses happen either in metabolic networks (Chap. 4) or signaling networks (Chap. 5).

Since these are already the most important analysis techniques of current bioinformatics,

we then offer an in-depth look at basic strategies of bioinformatics working methods in

Part II and look at fascinating examples of current bioinformatics results and develop­

ments in Part III. 

1.3

Exercises for Chap. 1

In the exercises, important parts of the book will be dealt with in more detail in order to

consolidate and practise what you have learned. Tasks marked as examples serve as appli­

cation tasks in which you are to work independently with the computer in order to become

more familiar with bioinformatics. In addition, we have provided numerous tutorials in the

appendix, which also support the material of the textbook and the exercises and should

contribute to a better understanding.

We recommend that you briefly review the material from Chap. 1 at Chap. 6 using the

exercises.

Task 1.1

(a) What is and does bioinformatics do (feel free to explain with an example)?

(b) There are three areas of bioinformatics, informatically speaking: Databases,

Programs/Software, and Modeling/Simulations. Describe important differences

between these areas.

1  Sequence Analysis: Deciphering the Language of Life