What Is a String?

The Code of Life

Raluca Gordn

What Conductors Think: Strings

What Sailors Think: Strings

What Pianists Think: Strings

What Genome Scientists Think: Strings

The Genome: A Long String Over {A,T,C,G}

TGGGGAATAGTGATCTGTCCGTGAATGATC
From 30 basepairs to 3,000 to 3 billion
TGGGGAATAGTGATCTGTCCGTGAATGATCACTTGGAAATGCATCCGACTGAGTGACGCGGCTCAGGTACCCGTGATTGCTAAAGGTC
TAATCGTTAAGTTACTCACACACCGTTCACTGAAAAGAGCACAGGGACGGAACCTCCTGAGAAGTTATGAGATGATCACGAATGCCCC
ACTGCGTAGGGCCCGCGGCTTCTACCAGTGTCCACTGGAACTCAACCGAATCGACGAGCAACATGGACTGGTCAGCGCTTTCACGCTC
TAGCACATGACTTTGCCGGTTGGCCTATGTTGGTGTGTAGAATATTCATGAGTCGACCCGATTGTATGTCCGGAGCGTGGTCCCACTT
GGAGGCACTTTGTCACAAAGTGCTTCGTCGCACGGCTAATCTCAGTTGAGAATGGGGGACTCGTACCCTGCGATTGCAAACAGGGGGC
GTGCATGATCTGTCCCGAAGTCGCTTACTTGTCCTCGTACCGCTTAGGCGGGCCAGATCATACTGTTCAAAGATGTGGGGGTACATCC
CATTGATTTCAATTGTCGTAGTCCGAGTTGAAAGGTGGGCCTAGAATCAAGAAATCGATCTCAGCTAACCGCGACAATTCTTCTTAGT
CACGGCCAAGGAACCGATTGGGTTGGAGACCTGACCTGCATAGGTTGCGATCTAACGTGCCCCTCGCGATCAGATCAGCACAACTTAA
CTGATCTTAAGTAGAAACCGGGTCAATTCGGCGCTGGCAATCATCTCTTTCGATCAATCCACCCCCCATAGGAAATTGTAACACGGTC
ATGGGCCGCGTCGCACCGACTTTATCTACGCTCATCTCCACCCTGAGACAGTCACTGGAACGACCCGGGCGTCAAAGTTTAAAACATT
GGTTGGGGAATGCAGTAGAATCTAGAGTGTTATGCCGTCTCTGATTCACCAAGACAGGAAAACACTTCATGCGGTTTCCAGACTCAGG
ACAGTTGGGATCAACACGGCTCGTTCGTCATTGGGGAATAGTGATCTGTCCGTGAATGATCACTTGGAAATGCATCCGACTGAGTGAC
GCGGCTCAGGTACCCGTGATTGCTAAAGGTCTAATCGTTAAGTTACTCACACACCGTTCACTGAAAAGAGCACAGGGACGGAACCTCC
TGAGAAGTTATGAGATGATCACGAATGCCCCACTGCGTAGGGCCCGCGGCTTCTACCAGTGTCCACTGGAACTCAACCGAATCGACGA
GCAACATGGACTGGTCAGCGCTTTCACGCTCTAGCACATGACTTTGCCGGTTGGCCTATGTTGGTGTGTAGAATATTCATGAGTCGAC
CCGATTGTATGTCCGGAGCGTGGTCCCACTTGGAGGCACTTTGTCACAAAGTGCTTCGTCGCACGGCTAATCTCAGTTGAGAATGGGG
GACTCGTACCCTGCGATTGCAAACAGGGGGCGTGCATGATCTGTCCCGAAGTCGCTTACTTGTCCTCGTACCGCTTAGGCGGGCCAGA
TCATACTGTTCAAAGATGTGGGGGTACATCCCATTGATTTCAATTGTCGTAGTCCGAGTTGAAAGGTGGGCCTAGAATCAAGAAATCG
ATCTCAGCTAACCGCGACAATTCTTCTTAGTCACGGCCAAGGAACCGATTGGGTTGGAGACCTGACCTGCATAGGTTGCGATCTAACG
TGCCCCTCGCGATCAGATCAGCACAACTTAACTGATCTTAAGTAGAAACCGGGTCAATTCGGCGCTGGCAATCATCTCTTTCGATCAA
TCCACCCCCCATAGGAAATTGTAACACGGTCATGGGCCGCGTCGCACCGACTTTATCTACGCTCATCTCCACCCTGAGACAGTCACTG
GAACGACCCGGGCGTCAAAGTTTAAAACATTGGTTGGGGAATGCAGTAGAATCTAGAGTGTTATGCCGTCTCTGATTCACCAAGACAG
GAAAACACTTCATGCGGTTTCCAGACTCAGGACAGTTGGGATCAACACGGCTCGTTCGTCATTGGGGAATAGTGATCTGTCCGTGAAT
GATCACTTGGAAATGCATCCGACTGAGTGACGCGGCTCAGGTACCCGTGATTGCTAAAGGTCTAATCGTTAAGTTACTCACACACCGT
TCACTGAAAAGAGCACAGGGACGGAACCTCCTGAGAAGTTATGAGATGATCACGAATGCCCCACTGCGTAGGGCCCGCGGCTTCTACC
AGTGTCCACTGGAACTCAACCGAATCGACGAGCAACATGGACTGGTCAGCGCTTTCACGCTCTAGCACATGACTTTGCCGGTTGGCCT
ATGTTGGTGTGTAGAATATTCATGAGTCGACCCGATTGTATGTCCGGAGCGTGGTCCCACTTGGAGGCACTTTGTCACAAAGTGCTTC
GTCGCACGGCTAATCTCAGTTGAGAATGGGGGACTCGTACCCTGCGATTGCAAACAGGGGGCGTGCATGATCTGTCCCGAAGTCGCTT
ACTTGTCCTCGTACCGCTTAGGCGGGCCAGATCATACTGTTCAAAGATGTGGGGGTACATCCCATTGATTTCAATTGTCGTAGTCCGA
GTTGAAAGGTGGGCCTAGAATCAAGAAATCGATCTCAGCTAACCGCGACAATTCTTCTTAGTCACGGCCAAGGAACCGATTGGGTTGG
AGACCTGACCTGCATAGGTTGCGATCTAACGTGCCCCTCGCGATCAGATCAGCACAACTTAACTGATCTTAAGTAGAAACCGGGTCAA
TTCGGCGCTGGCAATCATCTCTTTCGATCAATCCACCCCCCATAGGAAATTGTAACACGGTCATGGGCCGCGTCGCACCGACTTTATC
TACGCTCATCTCCACCCTGAGACAGTCACTGGAACGACCCGGGCGTCAAAGTTTAAAACATTGGTTGGGGAATGCAGTAGAATCTAGA
GTGTTATGCCGTCTCTGATTCACCAAGACAGGAAAACACTTCATGCGGTTTCCAGACTCAGGACAGTTGGGATCAACACGGCTCGTTC
GTCATTGGGGAATAGTGATCTGTCCGTGAATGATCACTTGGAAATGCATCCGACTGAGTGACGCGGC

Needles in Haystacks, Genes in DNA

ATCGTATACTGAAAACAGCTTTGAGATTGTTAAACACCGAAGAGTTATGATTT
TCAGCGTTGAGGTCTAACCACTCAGCGATTATAGATGTGGAGGGTCTCTTCGC
TGTAAGCATACGACGGTCTAGAGCTGGGATGAGGCCCGAACACTGTTATGGGT
Gene
ACGGTTGTAAGTCTTGAAACGTCTTGGAGGGTGGGCCGCCCAAGTACTTGTCC
CAGGCGCGGGGTACCCGTATGCTTATCTTAAGGAGACGCGGTGAGAGTGGTCC
GAAAGCCCTGGATTCATCTTAGCATGCGGGAAATCCGAAGTTGGAAGGTGAGG
GACAGGAAACAATCTGATATGACCCTGTAGATCAACTCTGAACCCCGACATGT
CCGAGCGATACCGACTCTACACGGGTGATGCATATCGTTGCGCTCTCTTTATA
GAGATGATGCTGAATGGAAGAAAACCGCCACCCATCTCTAAGCGAACAGATTC
ATGGAAGAAAACCGCCACCCATCTCTAAGCGAACAGATTC
AATAATGGAACCGGCCGAACTATTTCATAGAATGCAACGACGTTTGACAAATA
ATGGCGTTCTATCCACTCAAATCTCCGTATACTAGCGTTATCACAGTCGCATA
ATTAAACGCCAAAAACAAAACGTATATGGCGTTGTAACGCTGCACATTACCCG
ACATCGTACAGTGCATCATTCTCCGGGAACCAAGCACAATGACTACTAAGCAT
TACCAGGGAACGCAGATGTCTATCAGCACACCCGTTTTGATTGAGAGACAGCT
TAA
TAATGTACGCAATTTGAGTAATACACCCTTCATGGTAGGGGACATGGAAGCCA
TACTGCAACCCTAGTATCACCTTAGAACGGCTACACACATTCGCACTTTCTCC
TACGCGGCAACTTGTCGACGTTCTTGAGACGCTGTCGAGTGTTCCCAGCTAGC
CTGGTCGGGACAATTATGACAACGGCAGTCCAGCATCATATGCCGCGAGCCGC
ACATTGGCTCCGTGTCACGCGCGATTGCTAGATCCGGGCA

ATG

TAA

Genes and Regulatory Elements in DNA

GAATCGTATACTGAAAACAGCTTTGAGATTGTTAAACACCGAAGAGTTATGAT
TTTCAGCGTTGAGGTCTAACCACTCAGCGATTATAGATGTGGAGGGTCTCTTC
GCTGTAAGCATACGACGGTCTAGAGCTGGGATGAGGCCCGAACACTGTTATGG
GTACGGTTGTAAGTCTTGAAACGTCTTGGAGGGTGGGCCGCCCAAGTACTTGT
CCCAGGCGCGGGGTACCCGTATGCTTATCTTAAGGAGACGCGGTGAGAGTGGT
CCGAAAGCCCTGGATTCATCTTAGCATGCGGGAAATCCGAAGTTGGAAGGTGA
GGGACAGGAAACAATCTGATATGACCCTGTAGATCAACTCTGAACCCCGACAT
Regulatory Elements
GTCCGAGCGATACCGACTCTACACGGGTGATGCATATCGTTGCGCTCTCTTTA
TAGAGATGATGCTGAATGGAAGAAAACCGCCACCCATCTCTAAGCGAACAGAT
TCAATAATGGAACCGGCCGAACTATTTCATAGAATGCAACGACGTTTGACAAA
TAATGGCGTTCTATCCACTCAAATCTCCGTATACTAGCGTTATCACAGTCGCA
TAATTAAACGCCAAAAACAAAACGTATATGGCGTTGTAACGCTGCACATTACC
CGACATCGTACAGTGCATCATTCTCCGGGAACCAAGCACAATGACTACTAAGC
ATTACCAGGGAACGCAGATGTCTATCAGCACACCCGTTTTGATTGAGAGACAG
CTTAATGTACGCAATTTGAGTAATACACCCTTCATGGTAGGGGACATGGAAGC
CATACTGCAACCCTAGTATCACCTTAGAACGGCTACACACATTCGCACTTTCT
CCTACGCGGCAACTTGTCGACGTTCTTGAGACGCTGTCGAGTGTTCCCAGCTA
GCCTGGTCGGGACAATTATGACAACGGCAGTCCAGCATCATATGCCGCGAGCC
GCACATTGGCTCCGTGTCACGCGCGATTGCTAGATCCGGGCA

Genes and Regulatory Elements in DNA

GAATCGTATACTGAAAACAGCTTTGAGATTGTTAAACACCGAAGAGTTATGAT
TTTCAGCGTTGAGGTCTAACCACTCAGCGATTATAGATGTGGAGGGTCTCTTC
GCTGTAAGCATACGACGGTCTAGAGCTGGGATGAGGCCCGAACACTGTTATGG
GTACGGTTGTAAGTCTTGAAACGTCTTGGAGGGTGGGCCGCCCAAGTACTTGT
CCCAGGCGCGGGGTACCCGTATGCTTATCTTAAGGAGACGCGGTGAGAGTGGT
CCGAAAGCCCTGGATTCATCTTAGCATGCGGGAAATCCGAAGTTGGAAGGTGA
GGGACAGGAAACAATCTGATATGACCCTGTAGATCAACTCTGAACCCCGACAT
Regulatory Elements
GTCCGAGCGATACCGACTCTACACGGGTGATGCATATCGTTGCGCTCTCTTTA
TAGAGATGATGCTGAATGGAAGAAAACCGCCACCCATCTCTAAGCGAACAGAT
TCAATAATGGAACCGGCCGAACTATTTCATAGAATGCAACGACGTTTGACAAA
TAATGGCGTTCTATCCACTCAAATCTCCGTATACTAGCGTTATCACAGTCGCA
TAATTAAACGCCAAAAACAAAACGTATATGGCGTTGTAACGCTGCACATTACC
CGACATCGTACAGTGCATCATTCTCCGGGAACCAAGCACAATGACTACTAAGC
ATTACCAGGGAACGCAGATGTCTATCAGCACACCCGTTTTGATTGAGAGACAG
CTTAATGTACGCAATTTGAGTAATACACCCTTCATGGTAGGGGACATGGAAGC
CATACTGCAACCCTAGTATCACCTTAGAACGGCTACACACATTCGCACTTTCT
CCTACGCGGCAACTTGTCGACGTTCTTGAGACGCTGTCGAGTGTTCCCAGCTA
GCCTGGTCGGGACAATTATGACAACGGCAGTCCAGCATCATATGCCGCGAGCC
GCACATTGGCTCCGTGTCACGCGCGATTGCTAGATCCGGGCA