Duration
25h Th, 15h Pr, 35h Proj.
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
In this course an introduction to the bioinformatics discipline is given. We do so by introducing the students to several analysis work flows corresponding to different research questions.
Typical topics that are covered in this course include:
- The value of bioinformatics data bases
- DNA sequence exploration
- DNA sequence comparison
- Phylogenetics
- Genome-wide association screening using SNP chip arrays
- DNA sequence association analysis
- Gene network inference
The content of the course may be adapted during the course of the year, depending on the need to spend more time on particular subtopics.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of the course, students have an idea about what bioinformatics entails as a profession. Since this course is an introductory course, students will be evaluated about key concepts related to each subtopic, rather than in-depth understanding of each subfield.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
The course requires a good knowledge of biomedicine or informatics.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course is in part based on interactive ex-cathedra lectures and in part on interactive practical sessions. The exercise sessions allow students to become familiar with the theoretical concepts introduced during the theory classes. They prepare students to successfully carry out their homework assignments.
Regarding the homework assignments, three homework styles may be presented: 1) literature-based (i.e., discussing a paper related to the class topic); 2) programming-based (i.e., targeting students with a strong informatics background); 3) classic style (i.e., questions-answers type of homework). Students can work in groups but should select at least 2 styles throughout the course and at least once a literature-based homework. The latter are presented and discussed in class, to further clarify concepts covered during the theoretical or practical course sessions.
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
Face-to-face.
Recommended or required readings
Since a variety of « hot » topics are covered, there is no single textbook. Useful references will be given as the course progresses.
All course material is posted on the course website, which can be accessed via
bio3.giga.ulg.ac.be
or
http://www.montefiore.ulg.ac.be/~kvansteen
Assessment methods and criteria
Students are assessed via homework assignments and on the basis of an oral exam in the first session. Submitting all homework assignments in time is essential to pass this course.
In the second session, students will need to redo the homework for which they performed worst, as well as take an oral examination.
The oral exams are open book and may cover material from both the theoretical and practical sessions.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Language: English
Please consult the course website for practical and more detailed information, including course note material and homework assignments.
Contacts
Kristel Van Steen - e-mail kristel.vansteen@ulg.ac.be
Assistant: to be determined
Preferred contact mode: e-mail (include GBIO0009 in the subject title) or personal contact after a lecture or by appointment