Genetic sequencing

GenBank [32] is a text-numeric database of genetic sequences with more than 28 billion bases in 22 million sequences (January, 2003) from genetic research. The collection of all publidy available sequences is annotated with information such as sequence description, source organism, sequence length, or references. The database, estabhshed in 1967, is updated daily and produced by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (USA). 

In the new field of genetic engineering, scientific data management software is used to manage the long alphabetic codes that represent genetic sequences, as well as more traditional numeric and text applications. At Genentech, scientists use the software for these tasks as well as for laboratory data analysis. 

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a variation of the genetic sequence (point mutation) when a single nucleotide in the DNA is altered. It has a 0.1% chance of... 

Our research shows that in biological systems energy is, as far as possible, taken from the environment as and when it is needed rather than carried around (e.g. as liquid fuel) and is used to solve only 5% of biological problems, whereas in technology up to 75% of problems need energy to solve them. A far more important factor in the biological solution of problems is information - the genetic sequence, the specific chemistry required the drive specific reaction... 

Figure 1.2 The restriction enzyme ECORI, illustrated here, is one of hundreds isolated from bacteria and used by biotechnologists to cut DNA molecules so that they can be joined with other DNA molecules. This allows scientists to insert a desired genetic sequence into a strand of DNA.

Wada, K., Wada, Y., Ishibashi, E, Gojobori, T., and Ikemura, T. (1992). Codon usage tabulated from the GenBank genetic sequence data. Nucleic Acids Res. 20 2111-2118. 

HIV-specific CD8+ function may result from continued mutation and high levels of viral turnover, which gradually diminishes the capability of the cell to recognize the genetic sequences of the virus due to killing of some of the CD8 T cells repertoire by HIV itself. 

Gile LH, Peterson FF, Grossman RB (1966) Morphological and genetic sequences of carbonate accumulation in desert soils. Soil Sci 101 347-360... 

The first genetic sequencing to explore herbicide resistance. 

The first successful experience that used oligonucleotides to inhibit gene expression and virus replication was presented by Zamecnik and Stephenson in 1978 (24). They synthesized a 13-mer oligodeoxynucleotide complementary to the 5 and 3 reiterated terminal sequences of the Rous sarcoma virus 35S RNA and showed that exposure of infected fibroblasts to this oligomer led to a 99% decrease in reverse transcriptase activity in the medium, which also correlated with a decrease in cellular transformation, This study showed that such compounds may have a therapeutic advantage by specifically targeting genetic sequences that are critical to disease processes. 

---