Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST)

BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) is a computational method used by scientists to find regions of similarity between biological sequences, such as DNA, RNA, or proteins. By comparing a query sequence against a large database of known sequences, BLAST identifies closely related sequences that may have similar functions or evolutionary origins. It quickly highlights matching segments, helping researchers understand genetic relationships, identify genes, and discover functions of unknown sequences. Essentially, BLAST is a powerful tool for exploring biological data and making sense of complex genetic information efficiently.