Biology
BIOL 347 Bioinformatics (4)
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary science that develops and utilizes computer software tools to answer biological questions using large datasets, such as genetic code. The availability of sequencing technology combined with the power of computational biology has provided the opportunity to explore microbial communities that until now had remained elusive. This course explores the utilization of computational tools to answer biologically centered questions. Through the class students will gain conceptual knowledge and hands-on experience that will include the following: understanding of marker genes and their use in taxonomical surveys, genomic and metagenomics exploration of metabolic/physiological potential in organisms, examination of gene expression and RNA sequencing technology, and consideration about the importance of proteomic and metabolomics analysis. Close examination of primary literature and hands-on use of bioinformatics tools are among the learning strategies which are used as part of the course.