Bioinformatics courses at the MCB

Bioinformatics: Bioinformatics methods and reasoning in relation to genomics, proteomics and metabolomics strategies with an emphasis on functional genomics data. The course will cover introduction to UNIX, Perl programming, data processing and integration, file parsing, relational database design and implementation, angled towards solutions relevant for genomics.

Offered by: Plant Science

• Prerequisite: Understanding of cell and molecular biology (equivalent to a cell or molecular biology course) or permission from instructor.

• Terms
  • Winter 2013
• Instructors
  • Martina V Stromvik

Bioinformatics: The main problems related to the analysis of biological sequences (sequence comparison, homology, gene annotation, phylogenetic inference, comparative genomics) and the computational approaches (dynamic programming algorithms, Blast heuristics, hidden Markov models, Bayesian statistics).

Offered by: Plant Science

• Restriction: Enrolment by students in the Bioinformatics option or by permission from the course coordinators only. Limited to 30 students.

• Terms
  • Fall 2012
• Instructors
  • Martina V Stromvik

Computer Science (Sci): Introduction to current trends in Bioinformatics and closely related fields such as genomics and proteomics.

Offered by: Computer Science

• Restrictions: This seminar is restricted to graduate students in the Bioinformatics Option. Enrolment is limited to 30 students.
• Note: The seminar will meet for 3 hours every second week over Fall and Winter semesters.
• Students must register for both COMP 616D1 and COMP 616D2.
• No credit will be given for this course unless both COMP 616D1 and COMP 616D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.

• Terms
  • Fall 2012
• Instructors
  • Michael Trevor Hallett

Computer Science (Sci): Techniques related to microarrays (normalization, differential expression, class prediction, class discovery), the analysis of non-coding sequence data (identification of transcription factor binding sites), single nucleotide polymorphisms, the inference of biological networks, and integrative Bioinformatics approaches.

Offered by: Computer Science

• Prerequisite: Enrolment in Bioinformatics Option Program or permission of coordinators.
• Restrictions: Enrolment by students in the Bioinformatics Option Program or by permission of course coordinators only. Computer Science graduate students not in the Bioinformatics Option Program need additional permission of the M.Sc. or Ph.D. Committee respectively.

• Terms
  • Winter 2013
• Instructors
  • Michael Trevor Hallett

Physiology: Introduction to classical and current topics in biophysics and systems biology in order to model the control of gene expression and intracellular signal transduction, as well as gene spread in populations.

Offered by: Physiology

• Prerequisite: Knowledge of differential equations at the MATH 315 level or equivalent.
• Notes: Enrolment is limited to 20 students per semester. The course is 1.5 hours of lecture and 1.5 hours of seminar per week. Readings will focus on classic and current journal articles.

• Terms
  • This course is not scheduled for the academic year
• Instructors
  • There are no professors associated with this course for the academic year

Biomedical Engineering: Overview of high-throughput proteomic technologies commonly employed to study the localization and function of all proteins in an organism, and the bioinformatic approaches to analyze raw data and deposit them in proteome databases.

Offered by: Biomedical Engineering

• Prerequisite: Enrolment in Bioinformatics option program or permission by coordinators.
• Note: The course is inter-disciplinary and is targeted to students with different scientific backgrounds. A substantial portion of marks will be given based on practical assignments.

• Terms
  • Winter 2013
• Instructors
  • Robert E Kearney

Biology (Sci): An introduction to laboratory techniques with a focus on methods used to investigate fundamental questions in modern cell and molecular biology. Techniques including gene cloning, DNA and protein isolation and manipulation are covered, along with functional analysis of genes and proteins, basic bioinformatics, and computer-based experimental design and data analysis.

Offered by: Biology

• Fall or Winter
• 1 hour lecture and one 6-hour laboratory
• Prerequisites: PHYS 102 or PHYS 142, BIOL 200, BIOL 201 or ANAT/BIOC 212, and BIOL 202. BIOL 206 recommended.
• Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking BIOC 300. Requires departmental approval.
• For approval email anne-marie [dot] sdicu [at] mcgill [dot] ca. Specify your ID number as well as the term and lab day.

• Terms
  • Fall 2012
  • Winter 2013
• Instructors
  • Nam Sung Moon, Joseph Alan Dent, Huanquan Zheng
  • Nam Sung Moon, Paul M Harrison, Huanquan Zheng

Biology (Sci): Application of finite difference and differential equations to problems in cell and developmental biology, ecology and physiology. Qualitative, quantitative and graphical techniques are used to analyze mathematical models and to compare theoretical predictions with experimental data.

Offered by: Biology

• Fall
• 3 hours lecture
• Prerequisite: one year of calculus. An additional course in calculus is recommended

• Terms
  • Fall 2012
• Instructors
  • Leon Glass

Biology (Sci): 'Post-genomic' bioinformatics. Concepts behind large-scale computational analysis and comparison of genomes/proteomes (and beyond), and the implications for our understanding of the basic processes of molecular and cell biology and the evolution of those processes.

Offered by: Biology

• Fall
• 3 hours lecture
• Prerequisite: BIOL 301 or permission of instructor.
• Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking BINF 511.

• Terms
  • This course is not scheduled for the academic year
• Instructors
  • There are no professors associated with this course for the academic year

Biotechnology: This course introduces the application of computer software for analysis of biological sequence information. An emphasis is placed on the biological theory behind analytical techniques, the algorithms used and methods of developing a statistical framework for various types of analysis.

Offered by: Parasitology

• 3 lectures per week
• Prerequisites: LSCI 202 or LSCI 204 and ANSC 326. Permission of instructor.
• Restriction: Not open to students who have taken BINF 301.

• Terms
  • Fall 2012
• Instructors
  • Robin N Beech

Biotechnology: Fundamentals of protein structure and the application of tools for structure determination, how protein structure allows us to understand the complex biological functions, and how knowledge of protein structure can contribute to drug discovery.

Offered by: Parasitology

• Winter
• 1-hr lecture, followed by 2 hrs of computer lab.
• Prerequisite: Molecular biology or biochemistry, and basic bioinformatics, or permission of instructor.

• Terms
  • Winter 2013
• Instructors
  • Reza Salavati

Computer Science (Sci): A computer related project, typically a programming effort, along with a report will be carried out in cooperation with a staff member in the School of Computer Science.

Offered by: Computer Science

• 3 hours
• Prerequisites: 15 Computer Science credits.
• Restriction: For Honours students

• Terms
  • Fall 2012
  • Winter 2013
• Instructors
  • Nathan Friedman
  • Nathan Friedman

Computer Science (Sci): Application of computer science techniques to problems arising in biology and medicine, techniques for modeling evolution, aligning molecular sequences, predicting structure of a molecule and other problems from computational biology.

Offered by: Computer Science

• 3 hours
• Prerequisites: COMP 251, and MATH 323 or MATH 203 or BIOL 309
• Restriction: Not open to students who have taken COMP 562. Not open to students who are taking or have taken COMP 561.

• Terms
  • Fall 2012
• Instructors
  • Mathieu Blanchette

Computer Science (Sci): This course examines computational problems related to gene regulation at the mRNA and protein levels. With respect to mRNA expression, topics include microarray analysis, SNP detection, and the inference of genetic networks. With respect to protein expression, topics include peptide sequencing, peptide identification, and the interpretation of interaction maps.

Offered by: Computer Science

• 3 hours
• Prerequisite: COMP 462.

• Terms
  • This course is not scheduled for the academic year
• Instructors
  • There are no professors associated with this course for the academic year

Library & Information Studies: Bioinformatics from a library and information science perspective: biological foundation for bioinformatics; bioinformatics information needs and behaviours; information retrieval using key bioinformatics resources; the role of biology, computer science and library and information science; ethics.

Offered by: Information Studies

• Prerequisites: GLIS 617 and either GLIS 615 or GLIS 619.

• Terms
  • This course is not scheduled for the academic year
• Instructors
  • There are no professors associated with this course for the academic year

Human Genetics: A review of recent advances in human genomics and current state of the art technologies of DNA sequence and whole genomics analyses, as well as future directions in the post-genomic era.

Offered by: Human Genetics

• Prerequisite: BIOL 370 or by permission of the instructor.

• Terms
  • Winter 2013
• Instructors
  • There are no professors associated with this course for the academic year

Mathematics & Statistics (Sci): The formulation and treatment of realistic mathematical models describing biological phenomena through qualitative and quantitative mathematical techniques (e.g. local and global stability theory, bifurcation analysis and phase plane analysis) and numerical simulation. Concrete and detailed examples will be drawn from molecular and cellular biology and mammalian physiology.

Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics

• Taught in alternate years (Fall)
• Prerequisites: MATH 315 or MATH 325, and MATH 323 or MATH 356, a CEGEP or higher level computer programming course
• Corequisite: MATH 326 or MATH 376

• Symbols:
• Taught only in alternate years

• Terms
  • Fall 2012
• Instructors
  • Michael C Mackey

Parasitology: This course designation will be used for special courses that staff, or visiting professors, may wish to provide when student interest warrants. Examples might include a laboratory techniques course, a mathematical modelling course or a special pharmacology seminar series.

Offered by: Parasitology

• Terms
  • Fall 2012
  • Winter 2013
• Instructors
  • Roger K Prichard
  • Roger K Prichard