We consider how we assemble string-like puzzles, searching for pieces.

1. Discussion of the text-fragment assembly for today.
   1. For me: 3.5 hours on segment 13.
   2. Note: entire text in parallel: 4 hours or less.
   3. How could we improve our assembly process? Currently:
      1. Part compilation.
      2. Part assembly.
      3. Part search.
      4. Part "backtracking."
2. Sequencing operations.
   1. Cool Idea of the Day: Polymerase Chain Reaction=exponential growth.
   2. Grouping short sequences in to contigs.
   3. Cool Idea': Connecting the contigs with longer sequences.
3. Searching.
   1. BLAST: A "linear" approach to a "quadratic" problem.
   2. Searching for an organism (here's SARS).
   3. Searching for something similar to an organism.

Resources needed for this class:

• A basic genetics primer at NCBI.
• Fragments from an article on Ed Fredkin.

Resources to consider for the next class:

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