Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology

iometrics 47chemical steps that link genetic information to expressionin the form of a particular protein and its three-dimensionalstructure in the process known as protein folding. Alreadymolecular simulations and predictive techniques are beingused to determine which of thousands of possible molecularconfigurations might have promising pharmaceuticalapplications. The development of better algorithms andmore powerful computing architectures for such analysiscan further speed up research, avoid wasteful “dead ends,”and bring effective treatments for cancer and other seriousdiseases to market sooner. Recently, the unlikely platformof a Sony PlayStation 3 and its powerful new processor hasbeen harnessed to turn gamers’ idle time to the processingof protein-folding data in the Folding@Home project.SimulationA variety of other types of biological computer simulationhave been employed. Examples include the chemicalcomponents (metabolites and enzymes) that are responsiblefor metabolic activity in organisms, the structure ofthe nervous system and the brain (see neural network),and the interaction of multiple predators and food sourcesin an ecosystem. Simulations can also incorporate algorithmsfirst devised by artificial intelligence researchers(see genetic algorithms and artificial life). Simulationsare combined with sophisticated graphics to enableresearchers to visualize structure. Such visualization canprovide insight and encourage intuitive “leaps” that mightbe missed when working only with formulas. Visualizationalgorithms developed for biomedical research can alsobe applied to the development of advanced MRI and otherscans for use in diagnosis and therapy.A Fruitful RelationshipBioinformatics has been one of the “hottest” areas in computingin recent years, often following trends in the broader“biotech” sector. This challenging field involves such diversesubjects as genetics, biochemistry, physiology, mathematics(structural and statistical), database analysis and searchtechniques (see data mining), simulation, modeling, graphics,and image analysis. Major projects often involve closecooperation between bioinformatics specialists and otherresearchers. Many computer scientists may find it profitableto study biology just as biologists will need to learn aboutand master the latest software tools. Researchers must alsoconsider how the availability of ever-increasing computingpower might make previously impossible projects feasible(see supercomputer and grid computing). (The NationalInstitutes of Health (NIH) currently funds seven biomedicalcomputation centers, including the National Center forPhysics-based Simulation of Biological Structures at StanfordUniversity. )The relationship between biology and computer scienceseems destined to be even more fruitful in coming years. Assoftware tools allow researchers to probe ever more deeplyinto biological processes and to bridge the gap betweenphysics, biochemistry, and the emergent behavior of livingorganisms, understanding of those processes may in turninspire the creation of new architectures and algorithms inareas such as artificial intelligence and robotics.Further ReadingBader, David A. “Computational Biology and High-PerformanceComputing.” Communications of the ACM 47, 11 (2004): 34–41.Brent, Roger, and Jehoshua Bruck. “Can Computers Help toExplain Biology?” Nature 440 (March 23, 2006): 416.Campbell, A. Malcolm, and Laurie J. Heyer. Discovering Genomics,Proteomics, and Bioinformatics. 2nd ed. San Francisco: BenjaminCummings, 2006.Claverie, Jean-Michel, and Cedric Notredame. Bioinformatics forDummies. 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Wiley, 2006.Cohen, Jacques. “Computer Science and Bioinformatics.” Communicationsof the ACM 48 (2005): 72–78.“Just the Facts: A Basic Introduction to the Science UnderlyingNCBI Resources: Bioinformatics.” National Center for BiotechnologyInformation. Available online. URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/About/primer/bioinformatics.html. AccessedApril 24, 2007.Computers can create detailed representations that give scientistsunprecedented ability to visualize nature’s most intricate structures.This is a computer model of trypanathione Reductase, a proteincrystal. (NASA photo; Marshall Space Flight CenterImage Exchange)biometricsThe earliest use of biometrics was probably the developmentby Alphonse Bertillon in 1882 of anthropometry, a systemof classification by physical measurements and description.While this was soon supplanted by the discovery that fingerprintscould serve as an easier to use means of uniqueidentification of persons, the need for a less invasive meansof physical identification has led to the development of a