Sequence Databases and the Internet

Every researcher who generates new sequence data will have a curiosity and a need to know if his or her sequence is the same or similar to one that has been identified before, if it is likely to contain part of a gene, and the possible function of any such encoded protein. As the Human Genome Project accelerates towards completion of the genome map, the use of computational tools to achieve these objectives is likely to become increasingly rewarding. The aim of this chapter is to direct the inexperienced scientist toward the most essential programs and to describe their use. More advanced information can be found in recent books which cover the subject comprehensively (1 ,2 ).