GCD3485

Bioinformatic analysis is the exploration of molecular sequence, structure, and function using online tools and databases. In this class, we'll learn to use some of the most powerful tools available for biologists to investigate the nature of genes and proteins. We will each explore a gene and the protein it encodes that no one before us has studied. We will learn to analyze and interpret the diverse forms of bioinformatic data we obtain, and we will consider how the data we find allows us to generate and evaluate original hypotheses that can be tested in the laboratory. This is a hands-on course. While the class has no exams, it does require the completion of four problem sets and a summative final project over the course of the semester. It also involves doing some peer review of classmates’ work.

prereq: introductory course in genetics and cell biology such as Foundations