ABSTRACT
Biological data has exploded in recent decades, so has our understanding of genes, proteins, and biological processes. However, our understanding of the biological processes and the contribution of individual gene products to different biological pathways and processes has not increased at the same pace. We are now entering an era of single cell genomics and research in epigenetics is increasing by leaps and bounds. One field that has had a major contribution in allowing transformative science in the last decade is the field of bioinformatics. In the future, the role played by bioinformatics in making sense of biological data generated at bench as well as in clinics is going to be critical. The goal of the current chapter is to provide an introduction to key areas of bioinformatics and provide examples of basic and advanced bioinformatics tools. This chapter should be considered as a primer for other chapters in this book with the aim to help researchers use bioinformatics tools to perform basic research, decipher biological processes, design better drugs, and help clinicians make informed decisions.
