Introduction / Functions

What Is Bioinformatics? How Does This Technology Work? 

Bioinformatics is the science of accumulating and examining complicated biological data found all over our world; for instance, the DNA found in our bodies. The main objective of bioinformatics is to increase the understanding of biological processes. This field of study fuses computer science, biology, statistics, engineering, and mathematics, to produce biological information that could be interpreted and analyzed by scientists across the globe. Bioinformatics can be traced back to 1968 where Margaret Dayhoff possessed protein sequences and DNA that had been utilized to analyze DNA structure. Dayhoff had performed many trials and had been known as one of the first scientists to utilize a computer system to automate and produce the outcome of her experiments. This led to other individuals in the biology profession finding out that numerous amounts of biological data resulted in exponential quantities of information hence making it very difficult and time-consuming to manually analyze the results which consisted of vast amounts of data. Therefore, more scientists began to incorporate the use of computers to interpret large quantities of data to efficiently automate the entire process of producing highly accurate results. The field of bioinformatics experienced an exponential amount of progression and growth during the 1990s and 2000s due to major accomplishments that had transpired in this particular field causing international notoriety to the bioinformatics field and commencing to encourage scientists to pursue discoveries associated in the bioinformatics field. This particular field of study works by scientists designing trials and experiments utilizing DNA, RNA, and, or protein sequences in hopes of gaining a greater understanding of the respected item. Once the scientist possesses all the numbers and variables required from the DNA, RNA, or protein sequences, they input it into the various automated processes found in the computer. Once the variables are set in the system, the computer uses analytical algorithms and software mechanisms to form a conclusion on the expected outcome of the experiment, thus giving a total understanding towards scientists, of the genetic product which had been created by the information of the biological data previously inputted into the computer system. All in all, bioinformatics can be summarized by the two primary subjects on which the field focuses on; the study of genomics (the analysis of genes) and the study of proteomics (the analysis of proteins).