An interesting new study by researchers at the University of Portsmouth,
UK, describes the use of a mathematical method to sequence genomes
based on information theory. The method offers an alternative to
clinical techniques, allowing mutations to be detected and possibly even
predicted. In this way, it opens new research opportunities in
bioinformatics and genetics.
The new paper uses information theory to devise a novel method whereby mutations can be both traced and predicted in genomic sequences. This is far from being the first attempt to do this, for DNA sequences have been analyzed through methods built on information theory from the ‘70s onwards.
The approach used in this study centers around information entropy (IE) spectra (see the enclosed figure), which are created from genomic sequences, and the examination of their mutation dynamics. Importantly, this approach is relevant for any sequence of any genome of any size.
The researchers used a program called GENIES (GENetic Entropy Information Spectrum), custom-built for this project and now available for free to other scientists.
