Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics

This is an in depth course in biology at ground level. The course can be part of the Bachelor’s programme in Molecular Biology and Biology and the Master's programme in Molecular Biology, Biology and Bioinformatics. The course can also be taken as a freestanding course.

Completed basic courses in biology comprising 60 credits in the subject areas of cell biology, molecular genetics, evolution, botanical and zoological physiology, ecology and biodiversity and systematics, or equivalent, of which at least 45 credits must be approved.

Alternatively;

Passed courses within the first and second year of the Bachelor program in Marine Science. At least 90 of the 120 credits must be passed.

In addition English proficiency is required to the level of English level 6/ English level 2 from Swedish Upper Secondary School, or be certified by an internationally recognized test, for example TOEFL, IELTS.

The course involves an in-depth contact with concepts and methods in the new biology based on the rapidly expanding amount of fully sequenced genomes. This includes concepts in the purely theoretical science field of bioinformatics going through algorithms for database searches, and clustering, as well as information about different existing databases, and a detailed description of the large-scale and genome methods that have been made possible as a result of all sequence data, such as for example DNA microarrays, proteomics with mass spectrometry as well as phenomics. The course is very research-oriented and exemplifies methods and ways of thinking to generate and interpret experimental data.

After completing the course the student is expected to;

Knowledge and understanding

• have knowledge of methodology for handling and understanding sequence information in DNA and proteins.
• have a good overview and understanding of the information available in public databases.
• have a good view of the large amount of sequence data currently available.
• have experience of how one can extract physiologically and ecologically relevant information from sequence data.
• have a broad knowledge of experimental methods for large scale and genome-wide analysis of molecular components.
• have insight into the strengths and weaknesses of different methods in functional genomics.
• have a good overview of the weaknesses and strengths of different experimental model organisms.
• have a basic understanding of the methodology and objectives of bioinformatics.
• have advanced knowledge in scientific methodology.

Competence and skills

• be able to read and understand the scientific literature in bioinformatics and functional genomics.

Judgement and approach

• show ability to orally and in writing present and discuss the collected data and information.

The course is based on lectures, practical sessions on databases and some applications in bioinformatics. It also includes two projects where the students for instance create hypotheses and suggest follow-up experimental verification/falsifiering on the basis of the obtained knowledge.
Compulsory parts in the course are laboratory sessions as well as other exercises in groups as shown in the course schedule.

Language of instruction: english

The course ends with an exam covering the full course. During the course, an opportunity is given for "dugga" which is not graded but the student must pass. Two project work during the course that includes both a written and oral presentation are graded.

If a student who has been failed twice for the same examination element wishes to change examiner before the next examination session, such a request is to be granted unless there are specific reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 HF).

If a student has received a certificate of disability study support from the University of Gothenburg with a recommendation of adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment, an examiner may decide, if this is consistent with the course’s intended learning outcomes and provided that no unreasonable resources would be needed, to grant the student adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment.

If a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, the student must be offered at least two examination sessions in addition to ordinary examination sessions. These sessions are to be spread over a period of at least one year but no more than two years after the course has been discontinued/changed. The same applies to placement and internship (VFU) except that this is restricted to only one further examination session.

If a student has been notified that they fulfil the requirements for being a student at Riksidrottsuniversitetet (RIU student), to combine elite sports activities with studies, the examiner is entitled to decide on adaptation of examinations if this is done in accordance with the Local rules regarding RIU students at the University of Gothenburg.

The grading scale comprises: Pass with Distinction (VG), Pass (G) and Fail (U).

The results of and possible changes to the course will be shared with students who participated in the evaluation and students who are starting the course.