Introduction to Computational Biology

*Taught Online*  Using computation to model and study biological systems is one of the leading edges of current scientific research. Modern biology generates massive amounts of data; handling and analyzing of this data requires mathematical and computational methods. The first part of the course is devoted to biological information and the models and computational techniques used to make sense of it.

Major advances in understanding how life works at the molecular level have revolutionized biology. The interactions of large molecules (macromolecules) produce functioning organelles and cells, and molecular mishaps lead to disease. The second part of the class is devoted to the structure and function of macromolecules and the computational models to visualize and quantify the properties of these molecules.

Students will learn how to apply cutting-edge high performance computation to analyze biological adat. The primary assessment in this course centers around a final project. Students will use our in-house supercomputer to process and analyze genomics data with a specific focus on identifying variants relevant to disease. The culmination of the course will involve presenting a report on their findings and analyses.