CHE1372H: BIOINFORMATICS

Abstract

Modern Biology is data driven and bioinformatics is the combination of Biology and computing. With the data floods, analysis has become challenging. Bioinformatics has developed powerful tools to study problems that include large scale genetic sequencing, analysis of query sequences to find similarities, protein structure prediction, machine learning methods. This course will introduce students to some of the important tools frequently used in Bioinformatics that are necessary for the practice of modern biology and medicine. The laboratory component of this course will introduce students to basic web-based tools (BLAST for searching for similar sequences in proteins and nucleotides, access databases for protein structures and genes, application of visualization programs like pymol to display molecular structures, to name a few), machine learning, decision trees, a basic introduction to computer languages like perl, python, and R to write simple scripts as well as the Unix shell to drive the bioinformatics tools. The course will also train students to read and interpret primary literature articles, write research reports, and make oral presentations.