Hacking The Genome

There are a variety of problems in biology and biochemistry which can only in recent years be addressed by computational methods. These approaches are not limited to the standard molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo techniques, but often involve sophisticated computer graphics and numerical methods. The nascent field of bioinformatics is another branch of this trend, and one perhaps better known to computationalists. Bioinformatics gained increased exposure in the so-called post-genomic era, after the human genome sequencing was largely completed. I will give some background information and also describe recent advancements and techniques.