An Introduction to Bioinformatics Algorithms (Computational Molecular Biology) |  | Authors: Neil C. Jones, Pavel A. Pevzner
Publisher: The MIT Press
Category: Book
List Price: $63.00
Buy Used: $30.00
as of 7/30/2010 16:58 CDT details
You Save: $33.00 (52%)
New (26) Used (24) from $30.00
Seller: Nadee
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 72483
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 454
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 7.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0262101068
Dewey Decimal Number: 570.285
EAN: 9780262101066
ASIN: 0262101068
Publication Date: August 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
This introductory text offers a clear exposition of the algorithmic principles driving advances in bioinformatics. Accessible to students in both biology and computer science, it strikes a unique balance between rigorous mathematics and practical techniques, emphasizing the ideas underlying algorithms rather than offering a collection of apparently unrelated problems.
The book introduces biological and algorithmic ideas together, linking issues in computer science to biology and thus capturing the interest of students in both subjects. It demonstrates that relatively few design techniques can be used to solve a large number of practical problems in biology, and presents this material intuitively.
An Introduction to Bioinformatics Algorithms is one of the first books on bioinformatics that can be used by students at an undergraduate level. It includes a dual table of contents, organized by algorithmic idea and biological idea; discussions of biologically relevant problems, including a detailed problem formulation and one or more solutions for each; and brief biographical sketches of leading figures in the field. These interesting vignettes offer students a glimpse of the inspirations and motivations for real work in bioinformatics, making the concepts presented in the text more concrete and the techniques more approachable.
PowerPoint presentations, practical bioinformatics problems, sample code, diagrams, demonstrations, and other materials can be found at the Authors' website.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
 Make this your first bioinfo book October 24, 2004
wiredweird (Earth, or somewhere nearby)
63 out of 66 found this review helpful
It's ironic that a new field like bioinformatics rarely offers any way for newcomers to feel welcome. Bioinformatics is maturing, and this book is that welcome.
It's written as a textbook for a Bioinformatics 101 course, the kind that has both computing and biology students in it. Historically, the two have lived in uneasy truce. The biologists thought that a 'database' was an enzyme that acted on 'datab'. The programmers would, in the authors' words, "spontaneously abort" at the chemistry and informality of biology. Maybe that's less true now, but the authors offer just enough computing basics for the biologists and just enough biology for the computer crowd to be able to discuss the same thing.
After that intro, the authors cover many of the classic problems in bioinformatics, including assembly, motif-finding, clustering, HMMs, dynamic programming, and even mass spec analysis. The style is very readable, and discusses both the biology and the computation of every topic presented. Many algorithms are built up in steps, showing how successive insights from both computation and biology can make existing techniques work better. Along the way, they offer biographical notes about the founders and luminaries of modern biological computation.
This is a great first book for anyone wanting to enter the field, from either a biology or a computer science background. Advanced students will bottom out quickly, and may lose patience with the informal and gently-paced discussion. Sorry, this book was never meant for them. It's a beginner's book, one that respects the intelligence and capability of its reader. It's broad, basic, and detailed enough that modest programming skill will yield working code. This book has my highest recommendation.
//wiredweird
A very good introduction! December 12, 2004
Zac (USA)
13 out of 15 found this review helpful
This book gives a broad overview of algorithmic methods used in bioinformatics. It is well writen and the mathematics needed to understand is undergraduate level. Reading this book makes appetite to apply these methods to problems or to dig deeper in the corresponding method.
Overall, a very good book, and due to its introductory level, one can recommend to all people interested in bioinformatics from all disciplines.
The First Undergraduate Text December 7, 2004
John Matlock (Winnemucca, NV)
10 out of 15 found this review helpful
Bioinformatics is probably the fastest growing field in both biology and computer science. The problems have come from the computer science department and the biology department having such fundamentally different goals. The computer scientists see the computer as an end in itself with no real thought on trying to do something useful with it. The biologists see the computer as just another tool in their laboratory. And the biological problems are huge, massive computers like the new Cray's and large Linux clusters are being devoted to biological applications.
This book is intended to fit into the chasm between biology and computer science. It discusses computer the algorithmic principles in terms of practical techniques that make sense to the undergraduate biologist. The book is well suited for a first class for the budding bioinformaticist.
Each main chapter in the book first introduces an algorithm, then it discusses the biologically relevant problems that this algorithm addresses, it includes a detailed problem and one or more solutions. Finally the chapter concludes with brief biographical sketches of leading figures in the field.
This is the first book of its type, and it's likely to remain a classic in the field through many editions and many years.
Good choice for an absolute beginner May 18, 2010
TFKhang
I find this book well-written and friendly to people who have not been exposed to algorithmic ideas. Biologists who are keen to understand algorithms that underpin all bioinformatics softwares will get a good dose of confidence after reading this book. To get the best out of this book a reader should test the algorithms explained in the book using a familiar programming language. Experienced people looking to "level-up" their expertise are likely to be disappointed - this is definitely a book for beginner / intermediate level folks.
Uma excelente introdução à bioinformática August 4, 2007
Rafael S. Assumpcao (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Este livro é excelente por várias razões. Entre elas posso citar o fato de estar totalmente voltado ao aprendizado por exemplos, sempre de forma a relacionar um problema computacional com um problema em bioinformática. É um livro muito abrangente, cobre muito bem os tópicos relacionados a alinhamentos e comparações de sequências. Seu capítulo sobre Algoritmos com Grafos é o meu preferido. O autor consegue passar as noções fundamentais com muita simplicidade, de forma que qualquer pessoa possa aprender num ritmo bem rápido.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
|
|
|
