Editing Sequence analysis (section)

== History ==

Since the very first sequences of the [[insulin]] protein were characterized by [[Fred Sanger]] in 1951, biologists have been trying to use this knowledge to understand the function of molecules.<ref name="pmid14886310">{{cite journal |author1=Sanger F |author2=Tuppy H |title=The amino-acid sequence in the phenylalanyl chain of insulin. I. The identification of lower peptides from partial hydrolysates |journal=Biochem. J. |volume=49 |issue=4 |pages=463–81 |date=September 1951 |pmid=14886310 |pmc=1197535 |doi= 10.1042/bj0490463}}</ref><ref name="pmid14886311">{{cite journal |author1=SANGER F |author2=TUPPY H |title=The amino-acid sequence in the phenylalanyl chain of insulin. 2. The investigation of peptides from enzymic hydrolysates |journal=Biochem. J. |volume=49 |issue=4 |pages=481–90 |date=September 1951 |pmid=14886311 |pmc=1197536 |doi= 10.1042/bj0490481}}</ref> He and his colleagues' discoveries contributed to the successful sequencing of the first DNA-based genome.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Sanger|first1=F|last2=Nicklen|first2=S|last3=Coulson|first3=AR|title=DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors|journal=Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A|date=December 1977 |issue=12|pages=441–448|pmid=271968|volume=74|pmc=431765|doi=10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463|bibcode=1977PNAS...74.5463S|doi-access=free}}</ref> The method used in this study, which is called the “Sanger method” or [[Sanger sequencing]], was a milestone in sequencing long strand molecules such as DNA. This method was eventually used in the [[human genome project]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Sanger|first1=F|last2=Air|first2=GM|last3=Barrell|first3=BG|last4=Brown|first4=NL|last5=Coulson|first5=AR|last6=Fiddes|first6=CA|last7=Hutchison|first7=CA|last8=Slocombe|first8=PM|last9=Smith|first9=M|title=Nucleotide sequence of bacteriophage phi X174 DNA|journal=Nature|date= February 1977|volume=265|issue=5596|pages=687–695|pmid=870828|doi=10.1038/265687a0|bibcode=1977Natur.265..687S|s2cid=4206886}}</ref>  According to [[Michael Levitt (biophysicist)|Michael Levitt]], sequence analysis was born in the period from 1969 to 1977.<ref name="pmid11323711">{{cite journal |author=Levitt M |title=The birth of computational structural biology |journal=Nature Structural & Molecular Biology |volume=8 |issue=5 |pages=392–3 |date=May 2001 |pmid=11323711 |doi=10.1038/87545 |s2cid=6519868 }}</ref> In 1969 the analysis of sequences of [[tRNA|transfer RNAs]] was used to infer residue interactions from correlated changes in the nucleotide sequences, giving rise to a model of the tRNA [[secondary structure]].<ref name="pmid5361649">{{cite journal |author=Levitt M |title=Detailed molecular model for transfer ribonucleic acid |journal=Nature |volume=224 |issue=5221 |pages=759–63 |date=November 1969 |pmid=5361649 |doi= 10.1038/224759a0|bibcode=1969Natur.224..759L|s2cid=983981 }}</ref> In 1970, Saul B. Needleman and Christian D. Wunsch published the first [[Needleman–Wunsch algorithm|computer algorithm]] for aligning two sequences.<ref name="pmid5420325">{{cite journal |author1=Needleman SB |author2=Wunsch CD |title=A general method applicable to the search for similarities in the amino acid sequence of two proteins |journal=J. Mol. Biol. |volume=48 |issue=3 |pages=443–53 |date=March 1970 |pmid=5420325 |doi= 10.1016/0022-2836(70)90057-4}}</ref> Over this time, developments in obtaining nucleotide sequence improved greatly, leading to the publication of the first complete genome of a bacteriophage in 1977.<ref name="pmid870828">{{cite journal  |vauthors=Sanger F, Air GM, Barrell BG, etal |title=Nucleotide sequence of bacteriophage phi X174 DNA |journal=Nature |volume=265 |issue=5596 |pages=687–95 |date=February 1977 |pmid=870828 |doi= 10.1038/265687a0|bibcode = 1977Natur.265..687S |s2cid=4206886 }}</ref> Robert Holley and his team in Cornell University were believed to be the first to sequence an RNA molecule.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Holley|first1=RW|last2=Apgar|first2=J|last3=Everett|first3=GA|last4=Madison|first4=JT|last5=Marquisee|first5=M|last6=Merrill|first6=SH|last7=Penswick|first7=JR|last8=Zamir|first8=A|title=Structure of a Ribonucleic Acid|journal=Science|date=May 1965|volume=147|issue=3664|pages=1462–1465|pmid=14263761|doi=10.1126/science.147.3664.1462|bibcode=1965Sci...147.1462H|s2cid=40989800}}</ref>