Developing Bioinformatics Computer Skills: An Introduction to Software Tools for Biological Applications

Bioinformatics--the application of computational and analytical methods to biological problems--is a rapidly evolving scientific discipline. Genome sequencing projects are producing vast amounts of biological data for many different organisms, and, increasingly, storing these data in public databases. Such biological databases are growing exponentially, along with the biological literature. It's impossible for even the most zealous researcher to stay on top of necessary information in the field without the aid of computer-based tools. Bioinformatics is all about building these tools. Developing Bioinformatics Computer Skills is for scientists and students who are learning computational approaches to biology for the first time, as well as for experienced biology researchers who are just starting to use computers to handle their data. The book covers the Unix file system, building tools and databases for bioinformatics, computational approaches to biological problems, an introduction to Perl for bioinformatics, data mining, and data visualization. Written in a clear, engaging style, Developing Bioinformatics Computer Skills will help biologists develop a structured approach to biological data as well as the tools they'll need to analyze the data.

Per Jambeck is a Ph.D. student in the bioengineering department at the University of California, San Diego. He has worked on computational biology problems since 1994, concentrating on machine learning applications in understanding multidimensional biological data. Per smiles wistfully at the mention of free time, but he manages to host shows at community and student-run radio stations anyway.

Cynthia Gibas is an assistant professor of biology at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, Virginia. She's been a computational biologist since before computational biology was cool, and is currently learning to drive her spankin' new home-built Linux cluster. Her research interests include the structure and evolution of genomes, the properties of protein surfaces and interfaces, and prediction of protein structure. She teaches introductory courses in bioinformatics methods for biologists and is looking forward to her next real vacation, sometime in 2006.