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Vaccinia Virus Infection & Temporal Analysis of Virus Gene Expression: Part 3
Published on: April 13, 2009
Bioinformatics for analysis of poxvirus genomes
Melissa Da Silva1, Chris Upton
1Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|June 13, 2012
Summary
Genomic data from over 100 poxviruses is revolutionizing virology. New bioinformatics tools help researchers analyze this complex DNA sequence information for better understanding of viral genomes.
Area of Science:
- Molecular biology and genomics, with a focus on virology.
Background:
- Recent technological advancements in molecular biology, including DNA sequencing and genomics, have generated vast amounts of viral data.
- The availability of complete genome sequences for over 100 poxviruses has significantly impacted virology research.
- Effective management and analysis of this genomic data require specialized databases and software tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe essential bioinformatics software and techniques for bench virologists working with poxvirus genomes.
- To highlight the utility of the Viral Orthologous Clusters database system and integrated tools for viral genome analysis.
Main Methods:
- The chapter focuses on common bioinformatics techniques relevant to poxvirus genome comparison and analysis.
- Examples demonstrate the application of specific software tools and databases.
Main Results:
- The increasing volume of genomic data necessitates user-friendly software for data selection, reformatting, comparison, and interpretation.
- The Viral Orthologous Clusters system provides integrated tools for managing and analyzing complete viral genomes.
Conclusions:
- Accessible bioinformatics tools are crucial for enabling modern virology research, particularly in the analysis of complex genomic datasets.
- The described software and database systems empower researchers to effectively utilize poxvirus genomic information.
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