The contents of this volume derive loosely from an EMBO worksh9P held at EMBL (Heidelberg) towards the end of 1989. The topic of Patterns in Protein Sequence and Structure attracted a wide range of participants, from biochemists to computer scientists, and that diversity has, to some extent, remained in the contributions to this volume. The problems of interpreting biological sequence data are to an increasing extent forcing molecular biologists to learn the language of computers, including at times, even the abstruse language of the computer scientists themselves. While, on their side, the computer scientists have discovered a veritable honey-pot of real data on which to test their algorithms. This enforced meeting of two otherwise alien fields has resulted in some difficulties in communication and it was an aim of the EMBO workshop to help resolve these. By the end, most biologists at the meeting had, at least, heard the terms Dynamic Programming and Regular Expression while for their part the computer programmers began to realise that protein sequences might be more than simple Markov chains in a 20-letter alphabet. Thanks to the modern facilities at EMBL, the three day meeting was video-taped and from this a transcript was taken and offered to the speakers as the basis for a contribution to this volume.

The contents of this volume derive loosely from an EMBO worksh9P held at EMBL (Heidelberg) towards the end of 1989. The topic of Patterns in Protein Sequence and Structure attracted a wide range of participants, from biochemists to computer scientists, and that diversity has, to some extent, remained in the contributions to this volume. The problems of interpreting biological sequence data are to an increasing extent forcing molecular biologists to learn the language of computers, including at times, even the abstruse language of the computer scientists themselves. While, on their side, the computer scientists have discovered a veritable honey-pot of real data on which to test their algorithms. This enforced meeting of two otherwise alien fields has resulted in some difficulties in communication and it was an aim of the EMBO workshop to help resolve these. By the end, most biologists at the meeting had, at least, heard the terms Dynamic Programming and Regular Expression while for their part the computer programmers began to realise that protein sequences might be more than simple Markov chains in a 20-letter alphabet. Thanks to the modern facilities at EMBL, the three day meeting was video-taped and from this a transcript was taken and offered to the speakers as the basis for a contribution to this volume.

Essential Bioinformatics is a concise yet comprehensive textbook of bioinformatics, which provides a broad introduction to the entire field. Written specifically for a life science audience, the basics of bioinformatics are explained, followed by discussions of the state-of-the-art computational tools available to solve biological research problems. All key areas of bioinformatics are covered including biological databases, sequence alignment, genes and promoter prediction, molecular phylogenetics, structural bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics. The book emphasizes how computational methods work and compares the strengths and weaknesses of different methods. This balanced yet easily accessible text will be invaluable to students who do not have sophisticated computational backgrounds. Technical details of computational algorithms are explained with a minimum use of mathematical formulae; graphical illustrations are used in their place to aid understanding. The effective synthesis of existing literature as well as in-depth and up-to-date coverage of all key topics in bioinformatics make this an ideal textbook for all bioinformatics courses taken by life science students and for researchers wishing to develop their knowledge of bioinformatics to facilitate their own research.

The prediction of the conformation of proteins has developed from an intellectual exercise into a serious practical endeavor that has great promise to yield new stable enzymes, products of pharmacological significance, and catalysts of great potential. With the application of predic tion gaining momentum in various fields, such as enzymology and immunology, it was deemed time that a volume be published to make available a thorough evaluation of present methods, for researchers in this field to expound fully the virtues of various algorithms, to open the field to a wider audience, and to offer the scientific public an opportunity to examine carefully its successes and failures. In this manner the practitioners of the art could better evaluate the tools and the output so that their expectations and applications could be more realistic. The editor has assembled chapters by many of the main contributors to this area and simultaneously placed their programs at three national resources so that they are readily available to those who wish to apply them to their personal interests. These algorithms, written by their originators, when utilized on pes or larger computers, can instantaneously take a primary amino acid sequence and produce a two-or three-dimensional artistic image that gives satisfaction to one's esthetic sensibilities and food for thought concerning the structure and function of proteins. It is in this spirit that this volume was envisaged.

This book explores the remarkable information correspondences and probability structures of proteins. Correspondences are pervasive in biochemistry and bioinformatics: proteins share homologies, folding patterns, and mechanisms. Probability structures are just as paramount: folded state graphics reflect Angstrom-scale maps of electron density. The author explores protein sequences (primary structures), both individually and in sets (systems) with the help of probability and information tools. This perspective will enhance the reader’s knowledge of how an important class of molecules is designed and put to task in natural systems, and how we can approach class members in hands-on ways.

In much of biology, the search for understanding the relation between structure and function is now taking place at the macromolecular level. Proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides are macromolecule--polymers formed from families of simpler subunits. Because of their size and complexity, the polymers are capable of both inter- and intramolecular interactions. These interactions confer upon the polymers distinctive three-dimensional shapes. These tertiary configurations, in turn, determine the function of the macromolecule. Computers have become so inextricably involved in empirical studies of three-dimensional macromolecular structure that mathematical modeling, or theory, and experimental approaches are interrelated aspects of a single enterprise.