Bioc221 - Module 2

Bioinformatics

development and application of computer science to the analysis of large amounts of biological information

What levels of biological information can be analyzed in bioinformatics

genome
mRNA/transcriptome
Protein/proteome
functional structures of proteins
biological systems

BLAST

finds similar sequences of nucleotide or proteins to your ‘query’ in a ‘subject’ database

Interproscan

provides functional analysis of proteins by identifying what families, domains and important sites of the protein are. Can also predict possible functions

Alphafold

used to predict proteins structure through data sequence

alphamessence

used to predict the variation effects like if a variation in a gene is pathogenic, beign or of uncertain consequence

real world applications of bioinformatics

predicting if change in sequence is clinically important
how SARS-CoV-2 is changing?
How can we reduce methangens in live stock

Importance of gene regulation in prokaryotes

conserves resources
allows response to change
ordered development

importance of operons in gene express of bacteria

clusters genes of related functions together so they can be co-transcribed under the control of a single promoter allowing for speed

What are the unique sequences of DNA in CRISPR from?

viruses that have attacked the bacteria in the past

What occurs to these unique sequences of DNA in CRISPR?

expressed as non-coding RNA and processed into crRNA that forms a complex with cas9 protein

What does the crRNA and cas9 complex do?

recognizes and cleaves apart DNA of viruses as a form of protection against infection