BIO260H1S CONCEPTS IN GENETICS

The course is an introduction to the concepts and the different areas of genetics, including trnasmission genetics, molecular and developmental genetics, population genetics, and genomics. It is concerned with questions such as what genes are, how they are inherited, how genes relate to characters, what defective genes can teach us, and how genes interact. This course will discuss how scientific experiments can revolutionize our knowledge and lead to the development of new scientific concepts. An important component of this class is the solving of problems in genetic analysis.

CSB352H1S – BIOINFORMATIC METHODS 

Large-scale biology projects such as the sequencing of the human genome and gene expression surveys using microarrays have created a wealth of data for biologists. However, the challenge facing scientists is analyzing and even accessing these data to extract useful information pertaining to the system being studied. This course focuses on employing existing bioinformatics resources – programs and databases – to access the wealth of data to answer questions relevant to the average biologist, and is highly hands-on. Topics covered include multiple sequence alignments, microarray data analysis, and protein interaction networks. This course is useful to any student considering graduate school in the biological sciences, as well as students considering molecular medicine. The grading is based on lab reports, quizzes and participation.

CSB472H1S COMPUTATIONAL GENOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS

Computational and bioinformatic analyses of genomic data. Biological databases, sequence alignment, annotation, gene prediction, phylogenetic analysis, microarray data analysis. Applied, theoretical and statistical issues will be addressed. There is a one hour tutorial/computer lab following each lecture, which includes hands-on analysis of genomic data, and introduction to Perl programming. This is an advanced course with a strong genetics emphasis meant for Biology and Human Biology/GGB specialists/majors.

CSB474H1F – METHODS IN GENOMICS AND PROTEOMICS 

Genomics and proteomics have revolutionized biological research. It is now theoretically possible to fully characterize the structure, organization, regulation and interaction of all genes, proteins and small bioactive molecules in an organism. CSB 474H1F is an intensive and rigorous three-week long laboratory course that will teach students how to produce and analyze data that is central to the fields of genomics and proteomics. Each week consists of two to three days of wet bench methodology, followed by two days of bioinformatic analyses. In the first week methods and principles covering genomic DNA analyses are taught. The following week covers methods and concepts involved with RNA expression profiling. The final week teaches methods and principles in proteomics. Techniques taught include DNA and RNA extraction, shotgun library construction, PCR, DNA sequencing, expression profiling using microarrays, 2D-gel proteome analysis, mass spectrometry and associated bioinformatics analyses such as sequence analysis and assembly, and statistical analysis of microarray and mass spectrometry data. This is an advanced laboratory and computer-based course, and assumes a strong background in molecular genetics and some prior laboratory experience. It is most appropriate for students wishing to pursue careers involving biological research.

BOT1700 The Early Evolution of Life(offered in 2005) 

BOT1700 Systems Biology (offered in 2006) 

CSB1000 Special Topics in Genomics: The Hazelnut Blight Genome Project (offered in 2009)