New On-line Tutorials on Promoter Analysis Tools

Comprehensive tutorials on a set of promoter analysis tools (Melina II, Consensus, MDscan, Gibbs and MEME) enable researchers to quickly and effectively use these invaluable resources.

Seattle (PRWEB) July 2, 2008 -- OpenHelix (http://www.openhelix.com/) today announced the availability of new tutorial suites on several promoter analysis resources including Melina II, Consensus, MDscan, Gibbs and MEME. The first tutorial of this set is on Melina II (http://melina2.hgc.jp/), a freely available web-based tool for promoter analysis. Researchers can use several algorithms with the Melina II analysis including Consensus (http://ural.wustl.edu/services.html), MDscan (http://ai.stanford.edu/~xsliu/MDscan/), Gibbs (http://bayesweb.wadsworth.org/gibbs/gibbs.html) and MEME (http://meme.sdsc.edu/meme/intro.html). Melina II and these four algorithms are used to find DNA motifs that may represent regulatory regions such as promoters or enhancers, or protein motifs and domains important in protein function. The additional tutorials in the OpenHelix promoter analysis set include short introductory tutorials on all four of these useful and important algorithms for promoter analysis.

The tutorial suites, available for single purchase or through a low-priced yearly subscription to all OpenHelix tutorials, contain a narrated, self-run, online tutorial, slides with full script, handouts and exercises. With the tutorials, researchers can quickly learn to effectively and efficiently use these resources. These tutorials will teach users:

* about the algorithms that can be used through Melina II

* how to do basic DNA and protein motif searches

* how to understand and interpret your search results

* how to display graphic representation of motifs

To find out more about these and other tutorial suites visit OpenHelix (http://www.openhelix.com) or the OpenHelix Blog (http://www.openhelix.com/blog) for up-to-date information on genomics.

About OpenHelix

OpenHelix, LLC, (http://www.openhelix.com) provides the genomics knowledge you need when you need it. OpenHelix currently provides online self-run tutorials and on-site training for institutions and companies on the most powerful and popular free, web based, publicly accessible bioinformatics resources. In addition, OpenHelix is contracted by resource providers to provide comprehensive, long-term training and outreach programs.

###