Module Code - Title:
BC4957
-
BIOINFORMATICS IN GENETIC AND PROTEIN ANALYSIS
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
BC4904
BC4905
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
To introduce students to the uses and applications of modern bioinformatics in elucidation of protein and genetic information using both theoretical and practical approaches and free web-based tools.
Syllabus:
Overview of bioinformatics. The generation of DNA sequence data, using sequence analysis, manual and automated DNA sequencing Nano-Pore sequencing. Accessing bioinformatics databases, EMBL. GENBank, DDJ and the PDB. Searching databases. Gene annotation. Searching with a sequence using the Blast tools for homology searching. Predicting and confirming an ORF (Orf-finder), control region identification (promoter find) Analysis of protein sequences derived from genetic information protein properties online. The search for function. InterProscan, patterns, sites and structure within proteins. The concept of motifs and domains. Alignment of sequences using CLUSTAL. Functional prediction. Protein secondary and tertiary structure. Protein modelling. Swiss PDB viewer as a tool for molecular modelling and visualisation. Genomics and proteomics tools for annotation.
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students will:
1. Define bioinformatics in relation to DNA and protein sequence analysis.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of DNA sequencing and how it underpins genomics and proteomics.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how DNA and protein sequences are stored and retrieved from sequence databases,
4. Describe the bioinformatic tools utilized to analyse a primary DNA or protein sequence.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students will:
1. Demonstrate the difficulties associated with function and structure prediction and the utility and shortcomings of current bioinformatic tools.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
On successful completion of this module, students will:
1. Evaluate and assess bioinformatic outputs from a range of analytical bioinformatic methodologies.
2. Demonstrate a working knowledge of key bioinformatic tools.
3. Perform a bioinformatic analysis on an unknown sequence.
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
This module will be taught via formal lectures and practical exposure to each technique illustrated in lectures via web based bioinformatic analysis. The student will then be given an unknown sequence and asked to analyse this in detail. The results will be presented formally via a project. Tutorials will be utilised to examine specific practical problems that emerge and to reenforce the practical analysis. The nature of this module is that research sequences will by necessity need to be utilised and at all stages research tools in bioinformatics will be utilised.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
S M Brown (2017)
Bioinformatics: A Biologist's Guide to Biocomputing and the Internet, Ed. 3
, Springer
Xiong J (2012)
Essential Bioinformatics
, Cambridge Press
Pevsner J. (2017)
Bioinformatics And Functional Genomics, 3rd Ed
, Wiley Blackwell
Other Relevant Texts:
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Autumn
Module Leader:
kieran.mcgourty@ul.ie