Abstract
The article aims to introduce computer scientists to the new field of
bioinformatics. This area has arisen from the needs of biologists to
utilize and help interpret the vast amounts of data that are constantly
being gathered in genomic research - and its more recent counterparts,
proteomics and functional genomics. The ultimate goal of bioinformatics is
to develop in silico models that will complement in vitro and in vivo
biological experiments. The article provides a bird's eye view of the basic
concepts in molecular cell biology, outlines the nature of the existing
data, and describes the kind of computer algorithms and techniques that are
necessary to understand cell behavior. The underlying motivation for many
of the bioinformatics approaches is the evolution of organisms and the
complexity of working with incomplete and noisy data. The topics covered
include: descriptions of the current software especially developed for
biologists, computer and mathematical cell models, and areas of computer
science that play an important role in bioinformatics. (Autor)