Module 6: Using DNA sequencing Flashcards
(12 cards)
What are the 5 key areas of use for DNA sequencing?
CSGCS
1)Computational biology , bioinformatics and genomics
2)Studying human health+disease through genome analysis
3)Comparing genomes using DNA barcoding
4)Genomics , proteomics and genotype-phenotype relationships
5)Synthetic biology
What does bioinformatics involve ?
Therefore … what is computational biology?
-developing software , computing tools and mathematical models to collect and analyse biological data sets (eg nucleotide sequences of genes , amino aid sequences of proteins)
the use of bioinformatics tools to model biological processes and systems
What is genomics?
the application of DNA sequencing and computational biology to study the genome of an organism
Studying 1000s of human genomes has made it possible for scientists to do what?
Bioinformatics databases offer information about what?
identify patterns in DNA and identify potential disease risks
mutations that may cause genetic disorders
What are 4 benefits of sequencing pathogen genomes?
-can identify sources and transmission routes of diseases
-can detect antibiotic resistant strains
-can develop new treatments/vaccines by identifying potential drug targets
-can monitor disease outbreaks
DNA barcoding involves comparing what?
What does this allow? 2 things
DNA sequence of an unidentified organism to a database of standard sequences for known species
-allows scientists to find similarities between new sequences and existing ones to indicate common ancestry and to build evolutionary trees with greater accuracy
What are 4 advantages of comparing genomes using DNA barcoding?
-its fast and affordable
-allows classification of new species
-allows updating of previous classifications
-allows estimation of evolutionary divergence based on predictable
DNA mutation rates
What is proteomics?
the study and amino acid sequencing of an organisms entire protein complement
How is pre mRNA modified?
by the removal of introns so that exons can be joined by spliceosomes
Exons can be joined in a variety of different ways , what does this result in?
this results in 1 gene being able to produce several versions of functional mRNA which could code for many different proteins and result in many different phenotypes
Synthetic biology is …
make 2 points
the design and construction of new biological parts , pathways and organisms
as well as the re-engineering of existing natural systems
Synthetic biology involves …
4 things
-genetic engineering
-use of fixed/immobilised enzymes and production of drugs from microorganisms
-synthesis of new genes to replace faulty ones
-synthesis of entire new organisms
