BioCoding
Intro to programming and bioinformatics
BioCoding is offered in-person at DNALC locations.
BIOCODING SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY: We invite students with ancestry in Latin America, including Mexico, Central, and South America, to apply.
In-Person BioCoding
Computers have revolutionized almost every aspect of our lives, including life science research. Unfortunately, a visit to most science classrooms would leave you with the impression that biology is only about microscopes and dissections. In fact, biology is in the middle of its biggest "revolution" as bioinformatics—the use of computing technologies to manage and understand biological data—changes how we understand everything from genomes to ecosystems.
This camp introduces the basic skills necessary for bioinformatics and will equip motivated students with knowledge that will serve them well beyond course participation. Enrolled students should bring an introductory knowledge of biology, but little to no knowledge of computer programming or bioinformatics is required. Basic typing proficiency and a strong interest in problem solving is recommended. Students will also learn basic molecular biology techniques with a hands-on laboratory to isolate and sequence DNA from biological samples; the data generated will be analyzed using common bioinformatics techniques, tools, and databases. Students will:
- learn about and use the Linux operating system;
- write computer programs in the Python programming language;
- extract and sequence DNA samples in the lab using PCR;
- manipulate and analyze DNA and protein sequence data; and
- explore online biological sequence databases.
