geneannotation
Gene annotation is the process of identifying the location of genes and other genomic features within a DNA sequence and assigning biological functions to them. This process is crucial for understanding the organization and function of genomes. It involves several steps, starting with the identification of coding sequences, which are the parts of a gene that are transcribed into RNA and then translated into proteins. This typically involves identifying open reading frames (ORFs), which are stretches of DNA that begin with a start codon and end with a stop codon, suggesting the presence of a protein-coding gene.
Annotation also includes identifying regulatory elements such as promoters, enhancers, and silencers, which control gene expression.
This process can be done computationally, using algorithms that predict gene structures and functions, or experimentally,