Introduction to Biocomputing

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Modern biology, as well as biochemistry and biophysics, relies significantly on computation. The volumes of data generated by modern lab and field research commonly require greater capacity and more sophisticated algorithms for reformatting, filtering, and analyzing than are available in traditional spreadsheet software. As a result, an efficient and productive scientist must possess, at least basic, biocomputational skills. Often these requisite skills include the ability to navigate the Unix Shell environment, to understand and implement existing software tools, and to use a scripting language for data processing and analysis. This course will provide students with the knowledge and experience required to apply these important tools in diverse contexts. Approximately one-third of the course will focus on using the Unix Shell environment with an introduction to bioinformatics approaches. The remaining two-thirds of the course will build the students' skills in the use of the R scripting language and applications in statistics and dynamic modeling. No previous coding experience is required of students in this course