Understanding the difference between global and local alignment is crucial in sequence analysis. This blog post by LLRI simplifies both concepts for beginners. It explains how global alignment attempts to match two sequences from beginning to end, making it ideal when the sequences are similar in length and content. On the other hand, local alignment finds regions of similarity within longer sequences—perfect for identifying conserved segments.
The article uses examples and common algorithms like Needleman-Wunsch and Smith-Waterman to help readers grasp the application of both. Whether you're a student, researcher, or aspiring bioinformatician, this post offers a practical breakdown of alignment strategies and their real-world uses. It’s a must-read if you’re diving into bioinformatics and want to build a strong foundation.