Bioinformatics is the application of computer technology to the management of biological information. It plays a role in areas like experimental molecular biology, genetics, genomics, and structural biology. It helps analyze and organize the large amounts of data generated by projects like the Human Genome Project. It is important for understanding diseases and developing new drug targets. It also aids research in fields like systems biology, genomics, and proteomics.

1. SHAH ABDUL LATIF UNIVERSITY KHAIRPUR
ASSIGNMENT
ROLL NO. BC0113-01
NAME: ABDUL-RAHMAN SHAIKH
CLASS: BS (P-IV)
DEPARTMENT: BIOCHEMISTRY
SUBJECT: BIOINFORMATICS
TEACHER: RESAPECTABLE SIR MAQBOOL AHMED SOOMRO
ASSIGNMENT TOPIC: BIOINFORMATICS AND ITS IMPORTANCE

2. Table of Contents
Introduction to Bioinformatics.............................................................................................................3
History of Bioinformatics....................................................................................................................4
Aims and Objectives...........................................................................................................................5
Uses of Bioinformatics in different fields .............................................................................................6
Importance of Bioinformatics ..............................................................................................................7
SystemsBiology................................................................................................................................7
Genomics .......................................................................................................................................7
Proteomics .....................................................................................................................................8
References .........................................................................................................................................9

3. BIOINFORMATICS AND ITS IMPORTANCE
Introduction to Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer technology to the management of biological
information. Computers are used to gather, store, analyze and integrate biological and genetic
information which can then be applied to gene-based drug discovery and development. The need
for Bioinformatics capabilities has been precipitated by the explosion of publicly available
genomic information resulting from the Human Genome Project. [01]
The goal of this project determination of the sequence of the entire human genome (approximately
three billion base pairs) will be reached by the year 2002. The science of Bioinformatics, which is
the melding of molecular biology with computer science, is essential to the use of genomic
information in understanding human diseases and in the identification of new molecular targets
for drug discovery. [01]
In recognition of this, many universities, government institutions and pharmaceutical firms have
formed bioinformatics groups, consisting of computational biologists and bioinformatics computer
scientists. Such groups will be key to unraveling the mass of information generated by large scale
sequencing efforts underway in laboratories around the world. [01]
Bioinformatics has become an important part of many areas of biology. In experimental molecular
biology, bioinformatics techniques such as image and signal processing allow, extraction of useful
results from large amounts of raw data. In the field of genetics and genomics, it aids in sequencing
and annotating genomes and their observed mutations. It plays a role in the text mining of
biological literature and the development of biological and gene ontologies to organize and query
biological data. It also plays a role in the analysis of gene and protein expression and regulation.
Bioinformatics tools aid in the comparison of genetic and genomic data and more generally in the
understanding of evolutionary aspects of molecular biology. At a more integrative level, it helps
analyze and catalogue the biological pathways and networks that are an important part of systems
biology. In structural biology, it aids in the simulation and modeling of DNA, RNA, and protein
structures as well as molecular interactions. [01]
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4. History of Bioinformatics
Historically, the term bioinformatics did not mean what it means today. Paulien Hogeweg and Ben
Hesper coined it in 1970 to refer to the study of information processes in biotic systems.[1][2][3] This
definition placed bioinformatics as a field parallel to biophysics (the study of physical processes
in biological systems) or biochemistry (the study of chemical processes in biological systems).[01]
Bioinformatics started over a century ago when Gregor Mendel, an Austrian monk cross-fertilized
different colours of the same species of flowers. Mendel illustrated that the inheritance of traits
could be more easily explained if it was controlled by factors passed down from generation to
generation. Since Mendel, bioinformatics and genetic record keeping have come a long way. [02]
In 1988, the Human Genome organization (HUGO) was founded. The first complete genome map
was published of bacteria Haemophilus Influenza.In 1990, the Human Genome Project was started.
By 1991, a total of 1879 human genes had been mapped. In France, in 1993, Genethon, a human
genome research center produced a physical map of the human genome. Three years later ,
Genethon published the final version of the human genetic map. This concluded the end of the first
phase of the Human Genome Project. [02]
Bioinformatics was fuelled by the need to create huge databases , such as Genbank, EMBL and
DNA Database of Japan to store and compare the DNA sequence data erupting from the human
genome and other genome sequencing projects.(2). It enables researchers to analyze the terabytes
of data being produced by the Human Genome Project. Gene sequence databases and related
analysis tools all help scientists to determine whether and how a particular molecule is directly
involved in a disease process. That in turn , helps them find new and better drug targets.
Bioinformatics can be thought of as a central hub that unites several disciplines and methodologies
- molecular biology; information technology/information management; applications/databases;
computational resources; CADD (Computer Aided Drug Design); and Genomics/Proteomics/x-
omics . Bioinformatics brings together these activities and this may explain why we get so many
definitions for bioinformatics. [02]
Bioinformatics concerns the development of new tools for the analysis of genomic and molecular
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5. biological data including sequence analysis ,genetic algorithms,phylogenetic inference,genme
database organization and mining,optical computation and holographic memory,pattern
recognition and image analysis, biologically inspired computational models. [02]
Aims and Objectives
To study how normal cellular activities are altered in different disease states, the biological data
must be combined to form a comprehensive picture of these activities. Therefore, the field of
bioinformatics has evolved such that the most pressing task now involves the analysis and
interpretation of various types of data. This includes nucleotide and amino acid sequences, protein
domains, and protein structures. The actual process of analyzing and interpreting data is referred
to as computational biology. Important sub-disciplines within bioinformatics and computational
biology include:
Development and implementation of computer programs that enable efficient access to, use and
management of, various types of information
Development of new algorithms (mathematical formulas) and statistical measures that assess
relationships among members of large data sets. For example, there are methods to locate a gene
within a sequence, to predict protein structure and/or function, and to cluster protein sequences
into families of related sequences.
The primary goal of bioinformatics is to increase the understanding of biological processes. What
sets it apart from other approaches, however, is its focus on developing and applying
computationally intensive techniques to achieve this goal. Examples include: pattern recognition,
data mining, machine learning algorithms, and visualization. Major research efforts in the field
include sequence alignment, gene finding, genome assembly, drug design, drug discovery, protein
structure alignment, protein structure prediction, prediction of gene expression and protein–protein
interactions, genome-wide association studies, the modeling of evolution and cell division/mitosis.
Bioinformatics now entails the creation and advancement of databases, algorithms, computational
and statistical techniques, and theory to solve formal and practical problems arising from the
management and analysis of biological data.
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6. Over the past few decades, rapid developments in genomic and other molecular research
technologies and developments in information technologies have combined to produce a
tremendous amount of information related to molecular biology. Bioinformatics is the name given
to these mathematical and computing approaches used to glean understanding of biological
processes.
Common activities in bioinformatics include mapping and analyzing DNA and protein sequences,
aligning DNA and protein sequences to compare them, and creating and viewing 3-D models of
protein structures. [01]
Uses of Bioinformatics in different fields
 Microbial genome applications
 Molecular medicine
 Personalised medicine
 Preventative medicine
 Gene therapy
 Drug development
 Antibiotic resistance
 Evolutionary studies
 Waste cleanup
 Biotechnology
 Climate change Studies
 Alternative energy sources
 Crop improvement
 Forensic analysis
 Bio-weapon creation
 Insect resistance
 Improve nutritional quality
 Development of Drought resistant varieties
 Vetinary Science
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7. Importance of Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics has become an important part of many areas of biology. In experimental molecular
biology, bioinformatics techniques such as image and signal processing allow extraction of useful
results from large amounts of raw data. In the field of genetics and genomics, it aids in sequencing
and annotating genomes and their observed mutations. It plays a role in the textual mining of
biological literature and the development of biological and gene ontologies to organize and query
biological data. It plays a role in the analysis of gene and protein expression and regulation.
Bioinformatics tools aid in the comparison of genetic and genomic data and more generally in the
understanding of evolutionary aspects of molecular biology. At a more integrative level, it helps
analyze and catalogue the biological pathways and networks that are an important part of systems
biology. In structural biology, it aids in the simulation and modeling of DNA, RNA, and protein
structures as well as molecular interactions. Researchers affiliated with our program conduct
research in systems biology, genomics, and proteomics.
Systems Biology
Systems biology is an emerging approach applied to biomedical and biological scientific research.
Systems biology is a biology-based inter-disciplinary field of study that focuses on complex
interactions within biological systems, using a more holistic perspective (holism instead of the
more traditional reductionism) approach to biological and biomedical research. Particularly from
year 2000 onwards, the concept has been used widely in the biosciences in a variety of contexts.
One of the outreaching aims of systems biology is to model and discover emergent properties,
properties of cells, tissues and organisms functioning as a system whose theoretical description is
only possible using techniques which fall under the remit of systems biology.
Genomics
Genomics is a discipline in genetics that applies recombinant DNA, DNA sequencing methods,
and bioinformatics to sequence, assemble, and analyze the function and structure of genomes (the
complete set of DNA within a single cell of an organism). The field includes efforts to determine
the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping. The field also includes
studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis, epistasis, pleiotropy and other interactions
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8. between loci and alleles within the genome. In contrast, the investigation of the roles and functions
of single genes is a primary focus of molecular biology or genetics and is a common topic of
modern medical and biological research. Research of single genes does not fall into the definition
of genomics unless the aim of this genetic, pathway, and functional information analysis is to
elucidate its effect on, place in, and response to the entire genome’s networks.
Proteomics
Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions. Proteins
are vital parts of living organisms, as they are the main components of the physiological metabolic
pathways of cells. Proteomics, formed on the basis of the research and development of the Human
Genome Project, is also an emerging scientific research, involving exploration of the proteome
from the overall level of intracellular protein composition, structure, and its own unique activity
patterns. It is an important component of functional genomics. [03]
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9. References
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioinformatics
2. http://bioinformaticshistory.blogspot.com
3. Importance are directly searched from Google
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