Bioinformatics and functional genomics /

Pevsner (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine) provides an integrative approach to understanding theory and practice of the field of bioinformatics, from sequence analysis, gene expression, microarrays, and proteomics to phylogenetics and genome studies. He shows how bioinformatics applies to biological questions at different levels, through disease. He combines theoretical context with practical applications, emphasizing skills such as analyzing genes and proteins, creating phylogenetic trees, extracting data, and identifying genes and proteins implicated in disease. The book provides a systematic three-part format beginning with the analysis of biological sequence data, continuing with functional genomics (microarrays, proteomics), and concluding with coverage of genomes via the tree of life. The human genome chapter concludes with bioinformatics advances toward human disease. Without using too much technical detail, Pevsner has created an intriguing work targeted toward biologists wanting to solve problems. His book provides a compendium of many biological insights and breakthroughs and will be a useful resource for computational scientists who want to understand the biological problems attacked by bioinformatics. Pevsner assumes no computational background, so the book is appropriate for every level of study. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All levels. J. Kushner James Madison University