Genomics and Bioinformatics: An Introduction to Programming Tools for Life Scientists / Edition 1

by Tore Samuelsson

Overview

With the arrival of genomics and genome sequencing projects, biology has been transformed into an incredibly data-rich science. The vast amount of information generated has made computational analysis critical and has increased demand for skilled bioinformaticians. Designed for biologists without previous programming experience, this textbook provides a hands-on introduction to Unix, Perl and other tools used in sequence bioinformatics. Relevant biological topics are used throughout the book and are combined with practical bioinformatics examples, leading students through the process from biological problem to computational solution. All of the Perl scripts, sequence and database files used in the book are available for download at the accompanying website, allowing the reader to easily follow each example using their own computer. Programming examples are kept at an introductory level, avoiding complex mathematics that students often find daunting. The book demonstrates that even simple programs can provide powerful solutions to many complex bioinformatics problems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107401242
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/07/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	358
Product dimensions:	7.44(w) x 9.65(h) x 0.67(d)

About the Author

Tore Samuelsson is a Professor in Biochemistry and Bioinformatics at the Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He has been active in bioinformatics research for more than fifteen years and has over ten years' experience of teaching in the field, including the development of web resources for molecular biology and bioinformatics education.

Table of Contents

Preface; Acknowledgements; Design and conventions of this book; 1. Introduction - working with the molecules of life in the computer; 2. Gene technology - cutting DNA; 3. Gene technology - knocking genes down; 4. Gene technology - amplifying DNA; 5. Human disease - when DNA sequences are toxic; 6. Human disease - iron imbalance and the iron responsive element; 7. Human disease - cancer as a result of aberrant proteins; 8. Evolution - what makes us human?; 9. Evolution - resolving a criminal case; 10. Evolution - the sad case of the Tasmanian tiger; 11. A function to every gene - termites, metagenomics and learning about the function of a sequence; 12. A function to every gene - royal blood and order in the sequence universe; 13. A function to every gene - a slimy molecule; 14. Information resources - learning about flu viruses; 15. Finding genes - going ashore at CpG islands; 16. Finding genes - in the world of snurps; 17. Finding genes - hunting for the distant RNA relatives; 18. Personal genomes - the differences between you and me; 19. Personal genomes - what's in my genome?; 20. Personal genomes - details of family genetics; Appendix I. Brief Unix reference; Appendix II. A selection of biological sequence analysis software; Appendix III. Short Perl reference; Appendix IV. Brief introduction to R; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"... Samuelsson has devised a well-structured, step-by-step approach. Each chapter deals with a different use of bioinformatics, ranging from human disease to gene technology, giving the reader up-to-the-minute information in bite-sized chunks. The topics show the interdisciplinary nature of bioinformatics and are introduced in a readable manner, so the novice is not swamped with detail."
Dr Leighton Dann, The Biologist

"The book provides a lively and accessible introduction to current research in the life sciences, and it does so in a succinct way by grounding the explanations with simple algorithms expressed in Perl code. As such, the book can be very useful to a general science audience, particularly those with a computer science background, whether established researchers or undergraduate students. The writing is inspiring and engaging, and the inclusion of Perl code makes it easy for readers to apply the knowledge and observe the outcomes."
Sara Kalvala, Computing Reviews

From the Publisher