BLAST (biotechnology)

<p>In <a href="/facts/Bioinformatics/D5x2L8ee">bioinformatics</a>, BLAST (basic local alignment search tool) is an <a href="/facts/Algorithm/fnl5NmRt">algorithm</a> and program for comparing <a href="/facts/Primary_structure/VaN6MEYh">primary</a> biological sequence information, such as the <a href="/facts/Amino_acid/WDxYwBny">amino-acid</a> sequences of <a href="/facts/Protein/Jxmagu3E">proteins</a> or the <a href="/facts/Nucleotide/pQKEwlJI">nucleotides</a> of <a href="/facts/DNA_sequence/hsPsNCQW">DNA</a> and/or <a href="/facts/RNA/HxPeNfNj">RNA</a> sequences. A BLAST search enables a researcher to compare a subject protein or nucleotide sequence (called a query) with a library or <a href="/facts/Database/VYcpkevb">database</a> of sequences, and identify database sequences that resemble the query sequence above a certain threshold. For example, following the discovery of a previously unknown gene in the <a href="/facts/Mus_musculus/A1fj6LQ2">mouse</a>, a scientist will typically perform a BLAST search of the <a href="/facts/Human_genome/VTV85pbn">human genome</a> to see if humans carry a similar gene; BLAST will identify sequences in the human genome that resemble the mouse gene based on similarity of sequence.
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BLAST (biotechnology) open-in-new

BLAST (biotechnology)