Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How does next-generation DNA sequencing depend on bioinformatics?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
bioinformatics
This computerized image of anthrax shows the various structural relationships of seven units within the protein and demonstrates the interaction of a drug (shown in yellow) bound to the protein to block the so-called lethal factor unit. Bioinformatics plays an important role in enabling scientists to predict where a drug molecule will bind within a protein, given the individual structures of the molecules.
Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) relies heavily on bioinformatics to manage and interpret the massive volumes of data generated by its high-throughput, massively parallel processes.12
The dependency of NGS on bioinformatics is primarily defined by three critical functions:
- Data Storage and Management: NGS technologies produce vast datasets, often in the gigabase range. Bioinformatics provides the necessary infrastructure for the storage, organization, and retrieval of these large-scale data sets, ensuring they are accessible for scientific research.12
- Data Analysis and Manipulation: Because NGS generates millions of DNA fragments simultaneously, bioinformatics tools are essential for processing this raw output. Algorithms are used to assemble these fragments by identifying sequence overlaps, effectively reconstructing the full genomic sequence from the fragmented data.23
- Annotation and Interpretation: A raw sequence is of limited utility without analysis. Bioinformatics programs scan these sequences to identify genes, regulatory elements, and potential functions through annotation. This involves comparing new sequences against known data to ascribe biological meaning, a process that is fundamental to understanding genetic function, disease correlations, and evolutionary relationships.123
Ultimately, bioinformatics transforms the raw, high-throughput output of NGS into actionable biological knowledge.13