Bioinformatics, an exciting area merging biology, computer science, and IT, significantly contributes to interpreting and managing biological data, particularly in genomics, proteomics, and drug research. In this article, we'll examine how to apply bioinformatics and to effectively deal with biological information. C# coding Getting started Start by verifying that your computer has the Core SDK installed and download it from the official site if needed. .NET Developing a Console Application Access your terminal or command prompt and go to the location where you want to establish your project. Input the following command: dotnet new console -n BioinformaticsApp This command creates a new C# console application called "BioinformaticsApp." Now, navigate to the project folder: cd BioinformaticsApp Importing a DNA Sequence We'll begin by importing a DNA sequence from a file. Create a text file containing a DNA sequence and name it "sequence.txt." Place it in the project directory. Next, open the "Program.cs" file and replace the existing content with the following code: using System.IO; namespace BioinformaticsApp { { string dnaSequence = File.ReadAllText(filePath); } } } using System; class Program { static void Main ( string[] args ) string filePath = "sequence.txt" ; Console.WriteLine($ "DNA Sequence: {dnaSequence}" ); Inside your main function. This code retrieves the DNA sequence from the file and shows it in the console. Launch you application by typing below command: dotnet run You should see the DNA sequence printed on the console. Analyzing the DNA Sequence Now, let's create a function to analyse the DNA sequence by counting the occurrences of each nucleotide. They are names as A, C, G, and T. Add the following check (for each nucleotide in the sequence) to the "Program" class: { { { countA++; countC++; countG++; countT++; } } } static void AnalyseSequence ( string sequence ) int countA = 0 , countC = 0 , countG = 0 , countT = 0 ; foreach (char nucleotide in sequence) switch (nucleotide) case 'A' : break ; case 'C' : break ; case 'G' : break ; case 'T' : break ; default : Console.WriteLine($ "Invalid character: {nucleotide}" ); break ; Console.WriteLine($ "Nucleotide Count - A: {countA}, C: {countC}, G: {countG}, T: {countT}" ); Now, call this function within the "Main" method, right after printing the DNA sequence: AnalyseSequence(dnaSequence); It was a short introduction, or "ice-breaker" before deep diving into bioinformatic applications in everyday life and healthcare. It is a very interesting area to explore further and deep dive into. Conclusion
