Jun 13, 2025  
2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home

  Programs A-Z
  Programs by Type

  Academic Policies & Regulations
  Undergraduate Curriculum
  Course Descriptions

  Global Field Study
  Honors Program
  Interdisciplinary Programs & Courses
  Three-Year Degrees

  Accreditation
  Campus Map
  Disability Support Services
  Mission Statement
  Past Catalogs
  Student Handbook
  Academic Calendar
  Veteran’s Benefits
HELP
2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

BI 338 Bioinformatics

(4 Credits)
(Also listed as CS 338 )

An interdisciplinary course in Bioinformatics offered by the Departments of Computer Science/Math and Biology. This course provides an overview of the field of genomics using bioinformatic tools to analyze genome structure and function.  In this course we will analyze evolutionary relationships of conserved genes and proteins using the alignment tool, BLAST.  Information-rich molecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins will also be analyzed and manipulated using basic commands in the programming language of Python, and we will learn to document workflows in the computational environment of Jupyter using Jupyter Notebook.  We will explore the bioinformatic tools for sequence manipulation within the GALAXY platform and will conclude the course with data visualization using R Studio.  Collaboration between students trained in different disciplines (math, computer science, biology) will be encouraged in order to address complex problems in bioinformatics, and to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the field.

Three class hours weekly (no laboratory). Fall

Prerequisite: BI 101, BI 102, CH 101/CH 111 and CH 102/CH 112 or written permission of the instructor and Department Chair. CH 201, CH 202 are recommended.