Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics is the use of information technology to study living organisms, usually at the molecular level. Bioinformatics involves the use of computers to collate and organise biological information to answer questions in fields like evolutionary biology. Currently, the main participants in bioinformatics include Genomics, and Proteomics, although, biological data from all fields are being produced at an incredible rate. On average the databases holding this data is doubling in size every 15 months. The way this information is being used is to recognize and analyse patterns of biological data that could not be done efficiently by humans.  As already mentioned, Genomics is the study of complex sets of genes. The most important application of bioinformatics in genomics is the Human Genome Project, in which more than 30,000 genes have been identified and secured through the sequencing of chemical base pairs which make up the DNA. It has thus enabled us to obtain necessary knowledge as to how these genes work together, and what functions they perform. Cures for many diseases are being discovered through this inter-relation where bioinformatics plays an essential role.