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Summary

Course details

Course type:

Short Course

Director of studies:

MyLSTM

Mode of study:

Duration:

5 Weeks

Home fee:

£2,560

Overseas fee:

£2,560

3 good reasons to study

Tropical disease blights the lives of over a billion people globally. You will learn how bioinformatics solutions are helping the fight against these debilitating infections.

This course will give you experience of essential practical methods and techniques, as well as significant theoretical knowledge in key areas of the field of bioinformatics.

The course is delivered with a strong research base that works in countries throughout resource-limited tropical regions of the world.

Programme Overview

This course aims to provide students with knowledge, understanding and practical experience in using computational methods and bioinformatics approaches.

Although bioinformatics is a relatively new scientific discipline it is increasingly broad in its definition and application. Its generic skills and methods are now commonly seen to be applied in furthering our understanding in the broader life sciences including biology, chemistry and medicine for example. You will learn how to use a variety of bioinformatics tools and interpret output data from functional genomics experiments and technology platforms. At the start of the course, you will be given an individual ‘mystery DNA sequence’ and, as you proceed, will learn how to analyse this sequence, discovering and unfolding the properties, functions, roles and biological importance of the gene and encoded protein. The course takes a practical-based interactive learning approach where introductory lectures and computer-based practicals in bioinformatic approaches employ a range of data, for example, from pathogens, vectors of disease, or venomous snakes, to introduce the concepts of functional genomics technologies and analyses.

20 Academic Credits - Assessments take place 10-14 February 2025

For an additional fee of £95, you can be entered for full Academic Credits for this course.

Please note that assessments may change at the discretion of the Directors of Study. All students will be made aware of new assessment details. The academic credits are offered to provide choice and flexibility to all our students, and students who do not wish to be entered for academic credits will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance.

Option for Academic Credit - 20 Credits at Masters level
This course is assessed by :

100% Presentation. A 15 minute presentation using a poster or slide series, & oral presentation describing the detailed bioinformatic analysis of a DNA sequence provided at the start of the course and outlining the approach taken to analyse the sequence and addressing specific questions. Judged by a panel.

Syllabus

The syllabus will include details of typical data arising from contemporary bioanalytical platforms and techniques (for example, transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics approaches) to generate and handle life science data.

A variety of lectures, practical workshops, tutorials and resources will include details on how to undertake file manipulations, batch processing, annotation of datasets, and will provide basic understanding of modern sequencing technologies, their application and handling of output data, introductions to technologies and data resources. This may typically include introductions to sequence resources, databases and data manipulation, sequence alignments, translations, protein motif family databases, phylogenetic trees, protein modelling, biochemical pathways, and use of command line computing software.

Entrance Requirements

Academic requirements:

A laptop computer is required for the full period of the course including the period leading up to assessment (if taking). You will need to bring this with you.

Students should be competent with molecular biology, biochemistry & genetics to BSc level 1 in biological sciences.

Knowledge of computing is not essential but students must have a genuine interest/motivation in using computers to answer biological questions.
To aid you in assessing this requirement/to gain insight into a typical topic undertaken in the course, we suggest taking the following webinars/online courses at the European Bioinformatics Institute;
http://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/course/using-sequence-similarity-se...
https://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/course/bioinformatics-terrified-0

English language requirements:

Attending course with Academic Credit:
The course is taught in English. Students whose first language is not English must provide evidence of an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of at least 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in all learning components, or a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of at least 88 for the Internet-based Test (iBT), with minimum scores of 21 for Listening and Writing, 22 for Reading and 23 for Speaking. Tests should be within their validity period of 2 years.

Attending course – Certificate of Attendance Only:
The course is taught in English and in a postgraduate setting. Students whose first language is not English should be aware that to benefit from the course participants should have English language proficiency at the equivalent of an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of at least 6.5.

Aims

This course aims to:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the types of data generated by different bioanalytical platforms and technologies, and the implications for analytical methodologies

Identify and execute appropriate bioinformatics approaches and critically apply skills to address research questions and problems of practical relevance

Critically evaluate and interpret output results from appropriate bioinformatics databases and publicly available bioinformatics software packages.

Careers

A seemingly endless stream of biological data is being generated across all sectors of life sciences research. This is creating ample opportunities for scientists with computer science expertise, and there is high demand for talented, experienced professionals at the crossroads of biology, statistics, and computer science.

Scientists who can analyse large amounts of information, and present it in a clear manner to decision-makers, are finding job opportunities and career pathways, especially in the big pharma and biotech sectors. Over many years we have educated hundreds of students, many of whom have established successful careers in industry and research in the academic or private sectors, or who have gone on to work in development as part of government or NGO teams.

Testimonials

Using mystery sequences from a real research study was brilliant as well, rather than having something just made up, it gave a feeling of a real experience.

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Start date	End date	Home fee	Overseas fee
6 January 2025	7 February 2025	£2,560	£2,560	Apply

Start date:
6 January 2025

End date:
7 February 2025

Home fee:
£2,560

Overseas fee:
£2,560

Apply

Applied Bioinformatics