Bioinformatics

Not only is the quantity of life science data expanding, but new types of biological data continue to be introduced as a result of technological development and a growing understanding of biological systems. Methods for analyzing these data are an increasingly important component of modern biological research. In Bioinformatics, leading researchers in the field provide a selection of the most useful and widely applicable methods, able to be applied as is, or with minor variations, to many specific problems. Volume II: Structure, Function and Applications contains methods pertinent to the prediction of protein and RNA structures and the analysis and classification of structures, methods for inferring the function of previously identified genomic elements, chiefly protein-coding genes, medical applications in diagnostics and drug discovery, and "meta-methods" for developers of bioinformatics algorithms.

• Computational diagnostics
• Databases
• Microarray expression data
• Phylogenetics
• Proteomics
• RNA
• Radiologieinformationssystem
• Sequence analysis
• Sequence data
• bioinformatics
• classification
• coding
• gene expression
• genes
• hybridization

From the reviews:

"In general, this book describes some of the most useful and widely used techniques in the field of bioinformatics. … it covers a wide variety of topics to satisfy the large audience involved in using and developing bioinformatics. … These will be of extreme importance to those involved in utilization and development of bioinformatics methods. The book is written for students and beginning level bioinformatics researchers. … This is a good reference in the field of bioinformatics, particularly for those who are just starting out." (Basabi Rana, Doody’s Review Service, September, 2008)

"Bioinformatics is presented … with a total of 51 chapters. … successfully cover the wide field of bioinformatics, providing many useful methods, the majority of which are accessible to the non-specialist. … will serve as a valuable reference and therefore may be most appropriate as an institutional purchase." (Conrad Nieduszynski, Microbiology Today, February, 2009)

"Volume II contains 25 chapters that cover computational approaches and theory in analyzing function and structure of protein and nucleic acid sequences. … give relatively in-depth coverage of many concepts that are applied by bioinformatics specialists. … Many of the chapters are example driven, with basic forays into bioinformatics analyses that will educate readers in both the theory and practical matter of running the analyses." (Jason E. Stajich, The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 84, September, 2009)

"This volume emphasizes protein analysis and function recognition. … In summary, this book presents a number of bioinformatics tools and methods, ranging from protein structure prediction, to gene function inference, to microarray data profiling. … The book is very suitable for entry-level bioinformaticians and clinical researchers." (Hsun-Hsien Chang, ACM Computing Reviews, August, 2009)

• School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

  Jonathan M. Keith

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