---

C. Use a Web browser as the platform for sequence analysis

The fantastic growth of the World Wide Web has created a wealth of information for biologists.

There are many web sites that provide free access to sophisticated molecular biology applications running on very high power computers.

searching for sequences

sequence similarity searching

multiple alignment

identifying conserved domains in proteins

However, the Web provides a hodegpode collection of tools, with different interfaces, inconsistant documentation, and random barriers to access.

The current state of the art in molecular biology computing requires the researcher to jump back and forth from applications on the Web, to GCG, to personal computer programs.

We are still a number of years away from an integrated bioinformatics interface that can seamlessly incorporate tools available at these three different levels.

The clear trend is for the growth of the web as a universal access to databases and mainframe programs.

• Will the personal computer shrink to a network tool that just runs a web browser and JAVA programs?
• Will commercial molecular biology applications grow to include a web interface?

---

---

Using Computers for Molecular Biology
Stuart M. Brown, Ph.D., RCR, NYU Medical Center

Comments to: browns02@mcrcr.med.nyu.edu