Biological Sciences 321GE - Conference Course: 'Genomics and Bioinformatics'

In this course we will examine the structure of genomes and how they evolve, and explore methodologies that rely on genomic and transcriptomic sequencing data. Through in-class discussions we will dive into a number of topics that can be evaluated by sequence analysis such as large-scale mutations in genome structure that impact trait evolution (e.g., gene/genome duplications), the effects of environment on trait expression, identifying genomic loci associated with adaptation, potential environmental impacts of microbial community makeup, and personal genomics. For each topic, we will discuss why genomic and transcriptomic sequencing data are useful and how the data are analyzed. In lab we will gain familiarity with molecular wet-lab techniques and basic bioinformatic skills to conduct selected genomic and transcriptomic analyses.

Prereq: 8 credits at the 200 level in Biological Sciences.; Coreq: BIOL-321GEL.