Using Chaos to Visualize DNA Sequences DNA sequences can be written out, just like the words on this page, using strings of A, C, G, and T. That works fine in principle, but when you want to write out something huge, like the sequence of an entire human genome, you realize that you need a better way. Otherwise you’d have a book 3.2 billion letters long. Comparing two enormous sequences is very difficult too. Say you want to see the patterns or differences that exist between the human and chimpanzee genomes. Some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers are required in order to meaningfully align such long strings of DNA bases, letter by letter, piece by piece. What you’re looking at is a way to use a technique called “Chaos Game Representation” to make images from DNA sequences. You can read how it works here, although it’s a bit technical. In essence, you take the first letter of any sequence and you start halfway between the middle of the square and that letter’s corner. Then for the next DNA letter, you go halfway between the first point and the next corner. So on and so on … until you create the ordered, yet chaotic patterns seen above.  Could these actually be used to compare DNA sequences? Is this remotely useful? I really have no idea. But it’s certainly a cool idea. You can play with it yourself using this tool. 
Zoom Info
Using Chaos to Visualize DNA Sequences DNA sequences can be written out, just like the words on this page, using strings of A, C, G, and T. That works fine in principle, but when you want to write out something huge, like the sequence of an entire human genome, you realize that you need a better way. Otherwise you’d have a book 3.2 billion letters long. Comparing two enormous sequences is very difficult too. Say you want to see the patterns or differences that exist between the human and chimpanzee genomes. Some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers are required in order to meaningfully align such long strings of DNA bases, letter by letter, piece by piece. What you’re looking at is a way to use a technique called “Chaos Game Representation” to make images from DNA sequences. You can read how it works here, although it’s a bit technical. In essence, you take the first letter of any sequence and you start halfway between the middle of the square and that letter’s corner. Then for the next DNA letter, you go halfway between the first point and the next corner. So on and so on … until you create the ordered, yet chaotic patterns seen above.  Could these actually be used to compare DNA sequences? Is this remotely useful? I really have no idea. But it’s certainly a cool idea. You can play with it yourself using this tool. 
Zoom Info
Using Chaos to Visualize DNA Sequences DNA sequences can be written out, just like the words on this page, using strings of A, C, G, and T. That works fine in principle, but when you want to write out something huge, like the sequence of an entire human genome, you realize that you need a better way. Otherwise you’d have a book 3.2 billion letters long. Comparing two enormous sequences is very difficult too. Say you want to see the patterns or differences that exist between the human and chimpanzee genomes. Some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers are required in order to meaningfully align such long strings of DNA bases, letter by letter, piece by piece. What you’re looking at is a way to use a technique called “Chaos Game Representation” to make images from DNA sequences. You can read how it works here, although it’s a bit technical. In essence, you take the first letter of any sequence and you start halfway between the middle of the square and that letter’s corner. Then for the next DNA letter, you go halfway between the first point and the next corner. So on and so on … until you create the ordered, yet chaotic patterns seen above.  Could these actually be used to compare DNA sequences? Is this remotely useful? I really have no idea. But it’s certainly a cool idea. You can play with it yourself using this tool. 
Zoom Info
Using Chaos to Visualize DNA Sequences DNA sequences can be written out, just like the words on this page, using strings of A, C, G, and T. That works fine in principle, but when you want to write out something huge, like the sequence of an entire human genome, you realize that you need a better way. Otherwise you’d have a book 3.2 billion letters long. Comparing two enormous sequences is very difficult too. Say you want to see the patterns or differences that exist between the human and chimpanzee genomes. Some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers are required in order to meaningfully align such long strings of DNA bases, letter by letter, piece by piece. What you’re looking at is a way to use a technique called “Chaos Game Representation” to make images from DNA sequences. You can read how it works here, although it’s a bit technical. In essence, you take the first letter of any sequence and you start halfway between the middle of the square and that letter’s corner. Then for the next DNA letter, you go halfway between the first point and the next corner. So on and so on … until you create the ordered, yet chaotic patterns seen above.  Could these actually be used to compare DNA sequences? Is this remotely useful? I really have no idea. But it’s certainly a cool idea. You can play with it yourself using this tool. 
Zoom Info

Using Chaos to Visualize DNA Sequences

DNA sequences can be written out, just like the words on this page, using strings of A, C, G, and T. That works fine in principle, but when you want to write out something huge, like the sequence of an entire human genome, you realize that you need a better way. Otherwise you’d have a book 3.2 billion letters long.

Comparing two enormous sequences is very difficult too. Say you want to see the patterns or differences that exist between the human and chimpanzee genomes. Some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers are required in order to meaningfully align such long strings of DNA bases, letter by letter, piece by piece.

What you’re looking at is a way to use a technique called “Chaos Game Representation” to make images from DNA sequences. You can read how it works here, although it’s a bit technical. In essence, you take the first letter of any sequence and you start halfway between the middle of the square and that letter’s corner. Then for the next DNA letter, you go halfway between the first point and the next corner. So on and so on … until you create the ordered, yet chaotic patterns seen above. 

Could these actually be used to compare DNA sequences? Is this remotely useful? I really have no idea. But it’s certainly a cool idea. You can play with it yourself using this tool. 

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