fundamentals in Bioinformatics
UToledo course #: BIPG5100/7100 - 3 cr
Prerequisites: BMSP6340/8340 Current Problems & Research Approaches in Genes and
Genomes (3cr) is recommended and can be taken concurrently. However, this should not
be necessary for students who have had upper-level courses in biology or biochemistry.
Offered: Fall semester. Lectures are posted online.
Summary: This course introduces the student to the powerful tools for accessing and
analyzing biological sequence and structural information (including data from the
Human Genome Project). Topics presented include sequence databases, sequence comparisons,
database searches, phylogenetic analysis, protein structure, proteomics, RNA structure
prediction, gene prediction and identification, genetic analysis of disease, and microarray-based
studies of gene expression. For each topic the basic theory will be presented, followed
by practical applications of the theory and exercises based on the lectures. There
will be scheduled sessions at the UToledo Health Science Campus Bioinformatics Computer
Lab to assist students in these exercises. There will also be a term project on a
subject of the student's choosing (requiring instructor approval). This project will
employ methods from the diverse topics covered in the lectures.
Grading: Weekly homework assignments are worth 10 points each. The term project is
worth 30 points. Midterm grades are used to assist students with determining where they stand academically in the
course. Final Grading: students who complete all assignments should obtain an A or B in the course. (See syllabus at link above for grading breakdown.)
Instruction: The course is team-taught with lecturers from the faculty at the University
of Toledo and Bowling Green State University.
Text: ISBN: 978-1-118-58178-0 Jonathan Pevsner, Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics,
third edition, Wiley-Blackwell, copyright 2015.
FULL COURSE SYLLABUS (PDF)
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES (SLO's) for Fundamentals of BPG