Introduction To Computational Biology

Written with the advanced undergraduate in mind, this book introduces into the field of Bioinformatics. The authors explain the computational and conceptional background to the analysis of large-scale sequence data. Many of the corresponding analysis methods are rooted in evolutionary thinking, which serves as a common thread throughout the book. The focus is on methods of comparative genomics and subjects covered include: alignments, gene finding, phylogeny, and the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The volume contains exercises, questions & answers to selected problems.

Biology is in the midst of a era yielding many significant discoveries and promising many more. Unique to this era is the exponential growth in the size of information-packed databases. Inspired by a pressing need to analyze that data, Introduction to Computational Biology explores a new area of expertise that emerged from this fertile field- the combination of biological and information sciences. This introduction describes the mathematical structure of biological data, especially from sequences and chromosomes. After a brief survey of molecular biology, it studies restriction maps of DNA, rough landmark maps of the underlying sequences, and clones and clone maps. It examines problems associated with reading DNA sequences and comparing sequences to finding common patterns. The author then considers that statistics of pattern counts in sequences, RNA secondary structure, and the inference of evolutionary history of related sequences. Introduction to Computational Biology exposes the reader to the fascinating structure of biological data and explains how to treat related combinatorial and statistical problems. Written to describe mathematical formulation and development, this book helps set the stage for even more, truly interdisciplinary work in biology.

Emphasises a hands-on approach to modelling Strong emphasis on coding and software tools for systems biology Covers the entire spectrum of modelling, from static networks, to dynamic models Thoughtful exercises to test and enable student understanding of concepts Current chapters on exciting new developments like whole-cell modelling and community modelling

Basic concepts of molecular biology. Strings, graphs, and algorithms. Sequence comparasion and database search. Fragment assembly of DNA. Physical mapping of DNA. Phylogenetic trees. Genome rearrangements. Molecular structure prediction. epilogue: computing with DNA. Answers to selected exercises. References. index.

Thorough and accessible, this book presents the design principles of biological systems, and highlights the recurring circuit elements that make up biological networks. It provides a simple mathematical framework which can be used to understand and even design biological circuits. The textavoids specialist terms, focusing instead on several well-studied biological systems that concisely demonstrate key principles. An Introduction to Systems Biology: Design Principles of Biological Circuits builds a solid foundation for the intuitive understanding of general principles. It encourages the reader to ask why a system is designed in a particular way and then proceeds to answer with simplified models.

A Primer for Computational Biology aims to provide life scientists and students the skills necessary for research in a data-rich world. The text covers accessing and using remote servers via the command-line, writing programs and pipelines for data analysis, and provides useful vocabulary for interdisciplinary work. The book is broken into three parts: Introduction to Unix/Linux: The command-line is the "natural environment" of scientific computing, and this part covers a wide range of topics, including logging in, working with files and directories, installing programs and writing scripts, and the powerful "pipe" operator for file and data manipulation. Programming in Python: Python is both a premier language for learning and a common choice in scientific software development. This part covers the basic concepts in programming (data types, if-statements and loops, functions) via examples of DNA-sequence analysis. This part also covers more complex subjects in software development such as objects and classes, modules, and APIs. Programming in R: The R language specializes in statistical data analysis, and is also quite useful for visualizing large datasets. This third part covers the basics of R as a programming language (data types, if-statements, functions, loops and when to use them) as well as techniques for large-scale, multi-test analyses. Other topics include S3 classes and data visualization with ggplot2.

Bioinformatics brings computational methods to the analysis and processing of genomic data. Bioinformatics: Databases and Systems focuses on the issues of system building and data curation that dominate the day-to-day concerns of bioinformatics practitioners. Included are chapters by many of today's leading bioinformatics practitioners, describing most of the current paradigms of system building and curation, including both their strengths and weaknesses. Biological topics covered include sequence databases, metabolic pathways, phenotypes, variety collections, gene expression atlases and neuroinformatics. Species range from bacteria to mammals to plants. Software systems and technologies covered include OPM, CORBA, SRS, KLEISLI, ACEDB, Web-based integration and laboratory workflow. Bioinformatics: Databases and Systems provides a valuable introduction for newcomers to the field, and a useful reference for veterans.

This textbook introduces fundamental concepts of bioinformatics and computational biology to the students and researchers in biology, medicine, veterinary science, agriculture, and bioengineering . The respective chapters provide detailed information on biological databases, sequence alignment, molecular evolution, next-generation sequencing, systems biology, and statistical computing using R. The book also presents a case-based discussion on clinical, veterinary, agricultural bioinformatics, and computational bioengineering for application-based learning in the respective fields. Further, it offers readers guidance on reconstructing and analysing biological networks and highlights computational methods used in systems medicine and genome-wide association mapping of diseases. Given its scope, this textbook offers an essential introductory book on bioinformatics and computational biology for undergraduate and graduate students in the life sciences, botany, zoology, physiology, biotechnology, bioinformatics, and genomic science as well as systems biology, bioengineering and the agricultural, and veterinary sciences.