Advances in molecular biology, algorithms, and high-performance computing have recently allowed for the rapid sequencing of large portions of the genomes of several species. The Human Genome Project has led to the precise genetic sequences of all 30,000 genes that any human cell contains have been mapped. It is now critical to elucidate the function of each gene, as it is this information that will lead to a greater understanding of human development and the ability to treat many diseases, including AIDS, cancer, MS, and Alzheimer's. Bioinformatics seeks to extract medically relevant and biologically important information from our rapidly expanding knowledge of genetic sequences. When produced in sufficient quantity and purity, these proteins can be used for biological testing, medical treatments, or structural biology.
Drugs typically work by interacting strongly, in a structure-specific way, with particular proteins.
If we know, for example, that a pathogen produces a particular protein necessary for its survival, and if we can find a way to block that protein by designing a tailor-made molecule to bind to that protein, we have taken a first step toward the design of a new drug. Sequence analysis, which is at the core of bioinformatics, is concerned with providing functional identification of genes. DNA Microarrays are high-throughput devices that increase the rate and volume of gene expression data. DNA Microarray technology has empowered biomedical research with the ability to accomplish whole genome analyses in a single experiment. Variations of these applications can be utilized to determine the effect of therapeutic agents on gene expression, map multifactorial disease loci, demonstrate chromosomal aberrations, profile tumor expression patterns, and identify individuals that are susceptible to pharmacological agents.