Sequencing

In genetics, sequencing means to determine the nucleotides of a DNA strand. Methods to do this are :

• chromosome walking
• shotgun sequencing
• Chain termination method

In biochemistry, sequencing means more generally the determination of the primary sequence of any linear heterobiopolymer. This includes nucleotide sequencing (for DNA or RNA) as well as protein sequencing (using Edman degradation, mass spectrometry[?], protease digests).

This resulting symbolic linear depiction known as a sequence can succinctly summarize much of the atomic-level structure of the sequenced molecule.

Though polysaccharides are biopolymers, it is not so common to talk of sequencing a polysaccharide, because a symbolic linear depiction cannot capture their tendency to branch and to bond to one other in different ways.

Links

Information on genome projects, and the data they have produced (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Genome)] at the National Center for Biotechnology Information