← All apps Sequence Similarity Search
Education
See how a BLAST-style search finds a match without comparing everything: index short words, look up seed hits, extend them in both directions, and rank the survivors by bit score and E-value. A side-by-side exact Smith-Waterman run shows what the shortcut saves and which weak, planted homologs it misses when the word size is large. The built-in test database has homologs planted at known identities so you can check the answer, and the app is explicit that it's a teaching version, not real BLAST. Depth levels run from the basic idea to the Karlin-Altschul statistics.
Open Sequence Similarity Search (sequencesearch.apps.vtc.com)
About Sequence Similarity Search
Sequence Similarity Search is an interactive learning tool on VTC. See how a BLAST-style search finds a match without comparing everything: index short words, look up seed hits, extend them in both directions, and rank the survivors by bit score and E-value. A side-by-side exact Smith-Waterman run shows what the shortcut saves and which weak, planted homologs it misses when the word size is large. The built-in test database has homologs planted at known identities so you can check the answer, and the app is explicit that it's a teaching version, not real BLAST. Depth levels run from the basic idea to the Karlin-Altschul statistics. It runs in your web browser and is free to use, and suits students, teachers and self-learners.
Who it's for: Students, teachers and self-learners
Features
- Rank the survivors by bit score and E-value
- A side-by-side exact Smith-Waterman run shows what the shortcut saves and which weak, planted homologs it misses when the word size is large
- The built-in test database has homologs planted at known identities so you can check the answer
- The app is explicit that it's a teaching version, not real BLAST
- Free to use in your browser
Frequently asked questions
What is Sequence Similarity Search on VTC?
Sequence Similarity Search is an interactive learning tool on VTC. See how a BLAST-style search finds a match without comparing everything: index short words, look up seed hits, extend them in both directions, and rank the survivors by bit score and E-value. A side-by-side exact Smith-Waterman run shows what the shortcut saves and which weak, planted homologs it misses when the word size is large.
Is Sequence Similarity Search free to use?
Yes. The VTC app catalog lists Sequence Similarity Search at no cost, and it runs in your web browser with nothing to install.
Who is Sequence Similarity Search for and how do I start?
It is aimed at students, teachers and self-learners. To start, open https://sequencesearch.apps.vtc.com in your browser.