Introduction to Computational Molecular Biology

by Joao Meidanis and Carlos Setubal

Book Overview

Computational biology applies the power of computers to large, complex mathematical problems arising in molecular biology, especially in DNA sequencing. Setubal and Meidanis provide an overview of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0534952623
• ISBN13: 9780534952624
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: PWS Publishing
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Detailed broad overview of algorithms

We used this book in a bioinformatics class. It can take a whole semester to discuss this little book. The approach here is algorithmic. It explains fundamental bioinformatics algorithms in detail. In comparison to Pevzner's Computational Molecular Biology, it's more practical, and has less mathematical formalisms. This book peaks inside the black box of bioinformatics algorithms. It's rigourous and for mathematics and computer science folks, and some material is difficult. Biologists may have a hard time with it, because of algorithm analysis and the required familiarity with graph theory. On the other hand, computer science folks shouldn't really take the introductory chapter on biology seriously. Take a look at its Table of Contents to see what it covers, there's no point repeating it here. Must have for anyone interested in implementing bioinformatics algorithms. On the other hand, if you're a biologist simply interested in how to use bioinformatics in your work, e.g., BLAST, there's no point reading this book.

Concise and to-the-point

This is a really nice introduction to the most commonly used algorithms in bioinformatics. It is not really a general introduction to molecular biology or to computer science, and to make best use of this book a reader probably needs some prior exposure to both. But, for someone who has had a basic course in say genetics, and a basic programming course that covers simple data structures and algorithms etc., this volume provides all they will need to understand what is really happening when they run a BLAST search, for instance. A serious computer-science type person will probably not find the alogorithms described here very interesting, because they aren't meant to be elegant or interesting, just useful. I think a reader would have to have some direct interest in bioinformatics per se in order to enjoy this book. One thing that I find particularly nice is that the length of the chapters is just right so that you can read through a chapter in a single sitting, and because the chapters are largely independent of one another, its a handy book to have around and pick up when one has a little spare time. I recommend it very strongly.

One of the really wonderful books in biocomputing.

The book gives a brief introduction on the mathematical structures used, without getting lost in mathematical obscurities. The algorithmic representation of all models make it easy to implement the models. It is a book of great practical use. I very strongly recommend this book for biologists as well as computer scientists interested in the area of biocomputing.