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Sequence Database��

Sir. Haseeb Anjum

BIN-422

Introduction to Bioinformatics

3(2-1)

BS Botany 2nd Semester (Morning/Evening)

Govt. Postgraduate College of Science, Samanabad

Faisalabad

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What is sequence database?

  • In the field of bioinformatics, a sequence database is a type of biological database that is composed of a large collection of computerized ("digital") nucleic acid sequences, protein sequences, or other polymer sequences stored on a computer.
  • The UniProt database is an example of a protein sequence database. 
  • As of 2013 it contained over 40 million sequences and is growing at an exponential rate.

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  • Historically, sequences were published in paper form, but as the number of sequences grew, this storage method became unsustainable.

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Methods can be searched using sequence database:

  • Sequence databases can be searched using a variety of methods. 
  • The most common usage is probably searching for sequences similar to a certain target protein or gene whose sequence is already known to the user.
  • The BLAST program is a popular method of this type.

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What is BLAST?

  • In bioinformatics, BLAST (basic local alignment search tool) is an algorithm and program for comparing primary biological sequence information, such as the amino-acid sequences of proteins or the nucleotides of DNA and RNA sequences.