Using DNA sequencing

Question 1

What is the difference between bioinformatic and computational biology?

Answer 1

• bioinformatics
  
  • developmeant of the software and computing tools needed to organise and analyse raw biological data
  • e.g. development of algorithims, mathematical models, and statistical test that help us make sense of large amounts of data
• computational biology
  
  • uses data to build theoretical models of biological systems, which can be used to predict what will happen in different circumstances
  • study of biology using computational techniques
    
    • e.g. analysis of data - 3d structure of proteins, gene regulation

Question 2

What is genomics?

Answer 2

• field of genetics that applies DNA sequencing methods and computational biology to anyaluse the strtucure and function of genomes

Question 3

How can computer be used to fight genetic diseases?

Answer 3

• compare genomes of many individuals, revealing patterns in the DNA we inherit and the cause of the diseases we are vulnerable to

Question 4

Why is using computers to predict diseases not always reliable?

Answer 4

• few genetic diseases are caused by a single gene
• genes work together with the environment to affect our characteristics, physiology, and likelihood of developing diseases

Question 5

Because sequencing genomes of pathogen has became fast and relatively cheap, what does this enable?

Answer 5

• Doctors to find the source of an infection
  
  • e.g. MRSA in hospitals
• identify antibiotic-resistant strains
  
  • ensures particular antibiotics are only used when effective - planning treatment options
  • uneccesary perscribing antibitcs amplifies the issue of antibiotic resistant
• track outbreak of disease and monitor potential epidemics
  
  • e.g. ebola 14/15
• identify regions in the genome of pathogen that may be useful targets in the development of new drugs and to identify genetic markers for use in vaccines

Question 6

What is DNA barcoding? How is it done?

Answer 6

• using genome analysis for species identification
• identify particular section of the genome that are common to all species but vary between them, so comparison can be made
• uses relatively short sections of DNA from a conserved region of the genome
  
  • animals used in the gene cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondrial DNA. and plants use areas in chloroplasts

Question 7

Why is DNA barcoding used? What is the difficulties in doing DNA barcoding?

Answer 7

• difficult to determine which species organisms belong to
• difficult to produce stock sequences for all the diferent species
• not came up with regions for fungi and bacteria, and may not be able to do so

Question 8

How are evolutionary relationships found through the genome?

Answer 8

• DNA sequences between organisms compared
• basic mutation rate of DNA calculated
• estimate how long ago two species diverged from a common ancestor
• helps build evolutionary trees

Question 9

What is proteonomics?

Answer 9

• study and amino acid sequencing of an organism’s entire protein complement

Question 10

Why is proteonomics important?

Answer 10

• scientist unsure about link between genotype and phenotype
• DNA sequence, should, in theory, enable you to predict the sequence of amino acids in all of the proteins it produces
• sequence of amino acids is now always that is predicted

Question 11

What are spliceosomes?

Answer 11

• mRNA contains both exons and introns
• before translations, the pre-mRNA is modified
  
  • introns removed
    
    • some exoms in some cases
• exons are then translated and joined together by enzyme complexes known as spliceosomes to give the mature functional mRNA
  *

Question 12

How do spliceosomes affect the phenotype?

Answer 12

• spliceosomes may join the same exons in a variety of way
• as a result, single gene may produce several versions of functional mRNA, which in turn would code for several arrangements of amino acids, giving proteins, and resulting in several different phenotypes

Question 13

What is protein modification?

Answer 13

• some proteins modified by other proteins after they are synthesised
• may remain in tact or shortened or lengthened to give a variety of other proteins

Question 14

What is synthetic biology?

Answer 14

• design and construction of novel artifical biologal pathways, organisms or devices, or the redesign of existing natural biological systems

Question 15

What different techniques are included in syntehtic biology?

Answer 15

• GE
• biology systems in industry
• syntheiss of new genes to replace faulty ones
• syntehsis of new organism