A computational tool that implements a dynamic programming algorithm is used for determining the optimal local alignment between two sequences. This type of application finds regions of similarity between sequences, even when the sequences are dissimilar overall. For example, it can identify shared domains within two proteins, revealing evolutionary relationships or functional similarities that might not be apparent through global alignment methods.
Such an alignment tool is vital in bioinformatics for tasks such as identifying homologous genes across different species, predicting protein function based on sequence similarity, and discovering potential drug targets. It overcomes limitations of other alignment techniques by permitting gaps and mismatches, thereby providing a more nuanced and accurate measure of sequence relatedness. Historically, these tools have enabled significant advances in genome analysis and comparative genomics.
