An Overview of Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics in Modern Plant Science
Sajal Saha
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, School of Agricultural Science, Nagaland University, Medziphema, Nagaland, India.
Deepa Bhadana
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, Uttarpradesh, India.
Rinkey Arya
Faculty of Agriculture and Agroforestry, DSB Campus Nainital, Kumaun University, Uttarakhand, India.
Pankaj Kumar Shah *
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, School of Agricultural Science, Nagaland University, Medziphema, Nagaland, India.
Nishtha
Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India.
Pravesh Kumar
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, Uttarpradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Bioinformatics plays monumental role in decoding the genomic landscape of plant species for agricultural advancements. While only a few plant genomes have been fully sequenced, the pan-genomic approach, involving the study of both the core and accessory genomes, is necessary to fully understand a species' genomic content. Bioinformatics, at the intersection of computer science and biology, handles the vast biological data generated during plant genomics research, facilitating data analysis, organization, and interpretation. By developing algorithms and tools, bioinformatics aids in gene prediction, functional annotation, sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis, and more. It enables researchers to uncover genetic diversity, identify adaptive traits, and improve crops for disease resistance, stress tolerance, and nutritional value. With its computational models and data analysis techniques, bioinformatics accelerates discoveries and contributes to sustainable agriculture, guiding the second green revolution towards resilient food systems.
Keywords: Bioinformatics, genomics, computational genomics, pan-genome, computer science