An Introduction to Bioinformatics

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2016, Volume 37

Robert J. Kosinski

Abstract

This exercise is used in introductory biology for majors at Clemson University. Students download DNA and protein sequences from a Web site and apply common bioinformatics tools to identifying and researching them. The students identify a piece of a gene using BLAST, explore their gene's genomic "neighborhood," determine the percent of DNA that is transcribed in this neighborhood, identify a protein using BLAST, research this protein using UniProt, search for literature on the role of the protein in disease, and finally, determine if DNA isolates from a mass disease outbreak show evidence of bioterrorism.

Keywords:  protein, bioinformatics, BLAST, gene, bioterrorism, GenBank, UniProt, PubMed

Boston University (2015)