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The origins of bioinformatics

Nature Reviews Genetics volume 1, pages 231–236 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Bioinformatics is often described as being in its infancy, but computers emerged as important tools in molecular biology during the early 1960s. A decade before DNA sequencing became feasible, computational biologists focused on the rapidly accumulating data from protein biochemistry. Without the benefits of supercomputers or computer networks, these scientists laid important conceptual and technical foundations for bioinformatics today.

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Figure 1: Frederick Sanger at the Nobel prize ceremony in 1980.
Figure 2: Alternative theories of protein structure.
Figure 3: Max Perutz, who shared the 1962 Nobel prize in chemistry with John Kendrew.
Figure 4: The IBM 7090 computer, which Margaret Dayhoff used for her early work.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Radford University, Radford, 24142, Virginia, USA

    Joel B. Hagen

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  1. Joel B. Hagen
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DATABASE LINKS

insulin

ribonuclease

myoglobin

haemoglobin

Protein Information Resource

cytochrome c

FURTHER INFORMATION

IBM history

National Biomedical Research Foundation

History of visualization of biological macromolecules

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE SCIENCES

DNA sequencing

Sanger, Frederick

Protein secondary structures: predictions

Molecular clocks

Linus Carl Pauling

Glossary

CHROMATOGRAPHY

A chemical analysis technique that uses a process of separating gases, liquids or solids from mixtures or solutions by selective adsorption.

CYTOCHROMES

Proteins whose function is to carry electrons or protons (hydrogen ions) by virtue of the reversible charging/discharging of an iron atom or iron/sulphur atoms in the centre of the protein. Cytochromes are central molecules of electron transport in the process known as oxidative phosphorylation. Cytochromes are divided into four groups (a, b, c, d) according to their ability to absorb or transmit certain colours of light.

HAEMOGLOBIN

Protein present in red blood cells that reversibly binds oxygen for transport to tissues.

INSULIN

A protein hormone secreted by β cells of the pancreas. Insulin is important in the regulation of glucose metabolism, generally promoting the cellular use of glucose. It is also an important regulator of protein and lipid metabolism. Insulin is used as a drug to control insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

MOLECULAR CLOCK

The hypothesis that, in any given gene or DNA sequence, mutations accumulate at an approximately constant rate in all evolutionary lineages as long as the gene or the DNA sequence retains its original function.

MYOGLOBIN

An oxygen-carrying muscle protein that makes oxygen available to the muscles for contraction.

RIBONUCLEASE

A enzyme that hydrolyses RNA.

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY

Study of the molecular structure of crystalline compounds through X-ray diffraction techniques. When an X-ray beam bombards a crystal, the atomic structure of the crystal causes the beam to scatter (diffract) in a specific pattern. X-ray crystallography provides information on the positions of individual atoms in the crystal, the distances between atoms, the angles of the atomic bonds and other features of molecular geometry.

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Hagen, J. The origins of bioinformatics. Nat Rev Genet 1, 231–236 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35042090

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