The role of pattern databases in sequence analysis

T. K. Attwood
2000 Briefings in Bioinformatics  
In the wake of the numerous now-fruitful genome projects, we are entering an era rich in biological data. The field of bioinformatics is poised to exploit this information in increasingly powerful ways, but the abundance and growing complexity both of the data and of the tools and resources required to analyse them are threatening to overwhelm us. Databases and their search tools are now an essential part of the research environment. However, the rate of sequence generation and the haphazard
more » ... liferation of databases have made it difficult to keep pace with developments. In an age of information overload, researchers want rapid, easyto-use, reliable tools for functional characterisation of newly determined sequences. But what are those tools? How do we access them? Which should we use? This review focuses on a particular type of database that is increasingly used in the task of routine sequence analysisthe so-called pattern database. The paper aims to provide an overview of the current status of pattern databases in common use, outlining the methods behind them and giving pointers on their diagnostic strengths and weaknesses.
doi:10.1093/bib/1.1.45 pmid:11466973 fatcat:2juyjx3qjvegjfza3vrpsosvne