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The language of genes

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  • David B. Searls

    (Genetics Research, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals)

Abstract

Linguistic metaphors have been woven into the fabric of molecular biology since its inception. The determination of the human genome sequence has brought these metaphors to the forefront of the popular imagination, with the natural extension of the notion of DNA as language to that of the genome as the 'book of life'. But do these analogies go deeper and, if so, can the methods developed for analysing languages be applied to molecular biology? In fact, many techniques used in bioinformatics, even if developed independently, may be seen to be grounded in linguistics. Further interweaving of these fields will be instrumental in extending our understanding of the language of life.

Suggested Citation

  • David B. Searls, 2002. "The language of genes," Nature, Nature, vol. 420(6912), pages 211-217, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:420:y:2002:i:6912:d:10.1038_nature01255
    DOI: 10.1038/nature01255
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    Cited by:

    1. Ben Jacob, Eshel & Shapira, Yoash & Tauber, Alfred I., 2006. "Seeking the foundations of cognition in bacteria: From Schrödinger's negative entropy to latent information," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 359(C), pages 495-524.
    2. Moghaddasi, Hanieh & Rezaei, Soghra & Darooneh, Amir Hossein & Heshmati, Emran & Khalifeh, Khosrow, 2020. "A comparative analysis of dipeptides distribution in eukaryotes and prokaryotes by statistical mechanics," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 555(C).
    3. Sutapa Datta & Subhasis Mukhopadhyay, 2013. "A Composite Method Based on Formal Grammar and DNA Structural Features in Detecting Human Polymerase II Promoter Region," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(2), pages 1-11, February.
    4. Sutapa Datta & Subhasis Mukhopadhyay, 2015. "A Grammar Inference Approach for Predicting Kinase Specific Phosphorylation Sites," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-19, April.

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