Genome Jumpstart
Course Description
Summary
This course offers an immersive experience into the world of DNA, genes, and genomes in eukaryotic organisms. In addition to getting a grasp of the foundational biology, students will engage with various online databases and resources, becoming familiar with the computational algorithms and methodologies used to mine and analyze the ever-increasing data generated from whole-genome sequencing, and consider how that improves our understanding of evolutionary relationships amongst organisms based on their molecular fingerprints. In the second half of the term, students will work on an in-progress genome annotation project, contributing to an ongoing multi-institute comparative genomic analysis (exact topic area to be determined). Students that successfully complete project reports become eligible for future co-author status on emerging publications by the Genomics Education Partnership consortium.
Learning Outcomes
- students will understand the flow of genetic information in all life on Earth
- students will understand the importance of evidence and analysis in constructing a sound scientific model
- students will gain comfort with uncertainty and ambiguity in scientific research