The request to revise the Minor in Bioinformatics and Genomics and eight BINF courses

Date: February 12, 2015
To: College of Computing & Informatics
From: Office of Academic Affairs
Approved On: February 3, 2015
Approved by: Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Committee
Implementation Date: Summer 2015

Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.

Catalog Copy

Minor in Bioinformatics and Genomics

Designed to introduce students to the collection, informatics analysis and interpretation of data derived from genomic and biological macromolecular investigations, the Minor in Bioinformatics and Genomics provides students with a foundation of understanding and the computing skill necessary to communicate in the increasingly data-centric life sciences. In addition to gaining first-hand experience with current technologies for high-throughput data generation, students will receive training in up-to-date methods for data handling and interpretation while developing an understanding of critical issues in bioinformatics research design, statistical data analysis, and the application of genomics domain knowledge.

Program Requirements

The Minor in Bioinformatics and Genomics requires 19 15 credit hours consisting of the following required courses:

  • BINF 1101 Introduction to Bioinformatics and Genomics (4)
  • BINF 1101L Introduction to Bioinformatics and Genomics Lab (0)
  • BINF 2101 Genomic Methods (3)
  • BINF 2101L Genomic Methods Lab (1)
  • BINF 2111 Introduction to Bioinformatics Computing (4)
  • BINF 2111L Introduction to Bioinformatics Computing Lab (0)
  • BINF 2121 3121 Statistics for Bioinformatics (3)
  • BINF 3101 Sequence Analysis (3)
  • BINF 3101L Sequence Analysis Lab (0)
  • BINF 4600 Bioinformatics Seminar (1)

BINF 2111. Introduction to Bioinformatics Computing. (4) Pre- or corequisite: BINF 1101. This course introduces fundamentals of programming for bioinformatics (sometimes called “scripting”) using current programming languages and paradigms. Introduces It introduces both the language and the use of the language within a Unix environment, demonstrating how interpreted languages serve both as a useful tool for writing and testing programs interactively and as a powerful data analysis and processing tool for bioinformatics. (Fall On demand)

BINF 3111 2131. Bioinformatics Algorithms. (4) Prerequisite: ITCS 1212L or equivalent programming experience. Pre- or corequisite: BINF 3101. Introduces common algorithms and data structures used in bioinformatics and genomics. Consideration is given to the optimization and appropriate use of both through guided computational laboratory exercises. (On demand)

BINF 3101. Sequence Analysis. (3) Pre- or corequsites: BINF 2101 and BINF 2101L or permission Permission of instructor. This course covers the purpose, application, and biological significance of bioinformatics methods that identify sequence similarity, methods that rely on sequence similarity to produce models of biological processes and systems, as well as methods that use sequence characteristics to predict functional features in genomic sequence data. (Fall On demand)

BINF 2121 3121. Statistics for Bioinformatics. (3) Pre- or corequisite: BINF 1101. Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of either MATH 1103, MATH 1120, MATH 1121, MATH 1241, STAT 1220, STAT 1221, STAT 2122, or permission of instructor based on sufficient demonstration of foundational mathematics concepts. Concepts from probability, stochastic processes, information theory, and other statistical methods will be introduced and illustrated by examples from molecular biology, genomics and population genetics while exploring the use of the R and Bioconductor software for biostatistical analysis. (Spring On demand)

BINF 2101 3201. Genomic Methods. (4) Prerequisites: BIOL 1101 1110 and 1101L 1110L