# Experimental Techniques ## What Are Experimental Techniques? Bioinformatics isn’t just about storing biological data in databases, it also concerns conducting experiments on that data. The Experimental Techniques module of this guide covers just that. ## Why Should I Learn Experimental Techniques? Finding a database entry you are interested in is database searching, but as soon as you want to draw a conclusion from your search – inferring homologs of a protein of interest for example – you are conducting an experiment and need to apply the same scientific methodologies in terms of controls, etc. that you would to an experiment in the laboratory. Therefore, it is important to be familiar with the experimental techniques used in Bioinformatics. ## What Are the Learning Outcomes of This Week? By the end of the week, you should: * Be familiar with the PCR theory * Have a solid understanding of gel electrophoresis * Know the basics of sanger sequencing * Have good knowledge of NGS sequencing --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.abi.am/abi-omicss-guide-2021/week-5/experimental-techniques.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.