Question

The first bioinformatics database was created by

• A. \( \text{Pearson} \)
• B. \( \text{Dayhoff} \)
• C. \( \text{Richard Durbin} \)
• D. \( \text{Michael j. Dunn} \)

Hint:

Margaret Dayhoff also pioneered the one-letter code for amino acids to save computer storage space!

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and statistics to the field of biology.
• The need for databases arose as scientists began sequencing proteins in the mid-20th century.
• Storing and organizing these sequences was the first step toward modern computational biology.

Step 1: The Work of Margaret Dayhoff.
Margaret Dayhoff is widely considered the "Mother of Bioinformatics." In 1965, she published the first collection of protein sequences titled "The Atlas of Protein Sequence and Structure."

Step 2: Historical Significance.
This atlas was the very first database of biological information. She also developed the first sequence alignment methods and the PAM (Point Accepted Mutation) matrices. Final Answer: The first bioinformatics database was created by Dayhoff.