Bioinformatics is a rapidly developing field. Data volumes continue to grow and there is an increasing breadth of available data, including sequence, gene expression, protein, metabolite and phenotypic data. Novel databases are being developed for specific species or experiment types. These databases and tools may greatly assist in the application of plant biotechnology, though they require a basic set of skills to identify and utilize the most appropriate resource.

This book aims to assist research scientists in choosing the most applicable database or bioinformatics tools to aid and promote their research in plant biotechnology. Chapters include practical examples and highlight common problems encountered in bioinformatics analysis.

Further chapters are aimed at researchers developing bioinformatics databases and tools, detailing commonly applied database formats and biology-focused scripting languages. These will provide both beginner and experienced bioinformatics researchers with the necessary skills to develop and apply bioinformatics tools for their specialist area of plant research.