Share Description
This course is the first in a series of classes that will demonstrate the power of computing in modern biology. Please join us on the cutting edge of bioinformatics to search for hidden messages in DNA without ever putting on a lab coat.
We investigate DNA replication in the first half of the course, and we ask where in the genome does DNA replication begin. We'll see that we can answer this question for many bacteria with just a few simple algorithms that look for hidden messages in the genome.
In the second half of the course, we look at a different biological question, asking which DNA patterns act as molecular clocks. The cells in your body manage to keep a circadian rhythm, but how does this happen at the DNA level? Once again, we will see that by knowing where to look for hidden messages, we can begin to understand the amazingly complex language of DNA. Surprisingly, we will use randomised algorithms to solve problems by rolling dice and flipping coins.
Finally, you'll get your hands dirty and use existing software tools to find recurring biological motifs within genes that help Mycobacterium tuberculosis "dormant" within a host for many years before causing an active infection.
Syllabus :
1. Introduction
- Where in the Genome Does DNA Replication Begin?
2. Finding Replication Origins
- Where in the Genome Does DNA Replication Begin?
3. Hunting for Regulatory Motifs
- From Implanted Patterns to Regulatory Motifs
4. How Rolling Dice Helps Us Find Regulatory Motifs
- How Rolling Dice Helps Us Find Regulatory Motifs
5. Bioinformatics Application Challenge
- we will apply popular motif-finding software in order to hunt for motifs in a real biological dataset.
