Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

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.

Dr. Basant K. Tiwary is a Professor at the Centre for Bioinformatics, Pondicherry University. He previously served as a Visiting Associate Professor at the Li Lab of Molecular Evolution, University of Chicago, USA (2007-2008). He has also served as a Lecturer in Zoology under the West Bengal Education Service (2001-2002), and subsequently as a Lecturer and a Reader in Life Science (2002-2010) at Assam University, Silchar.  His research focuses on the molecular evolution and systems biology of complex biological systems such as the human brain and neuroendocrine system. He has been conferred various fellowships and academic honors, including an Overseas Associateship in Niche Areas of Biotechnology (2006-2007) from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, New Delhi; being selected as an Expert Member in Bioinformatics, University Grants Commission, New Delhi; and being offered an ICCR Professorial Chair in Bioinformatics at Ain Shams University, Cairo (2017). He has successfully coordinated the Bioinformatics National Certification (BINC) Examination, a grand challenge program of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India (2014-2017). He has more than 20 years of teaching experience on various aspects of Bioinformatics such as molecular evolution, systems biology, statistical computing, and next-generation sequencing, along with core subjects in the biological sciences. He has published more than 30 papers in reputed international journals such as Molecular Biology & Evolution, Briefings in Bioinformatics, Genomics, Carcinogenesis, Integrative Biology and Neuroendocrinology. He has also served as a referee for a number of reputed international journals such as Molecular Biology and Evolution, Genomics, Gene, BMC Genomics and Scientific Report.