LPhD062 Bioinformatics in microbiology

Details
Responsible DepartmentDepartment of Veterinary Disease Biology

Course Dates24-28 October, 31 October - 4 November 2011 (8.30-17.00)
 
Course AbstractThe course introduces areas of bioinformatics relevant to microbial research within natural, agricultural, veterinary, and human health sciences at Ph. D. course level. The first week introductory couse is intended for students without previous background in bioinformatics. The second week is for students who have attended the first week or with bioinformatical skills achieved elsewhere.
 
Course Home Pagehttp://www.staff.kvl.dk/~hech/
 
Course RegistrationApplications including CV with full contact address including Email address and a 1/2-1 page justification of educational qualifications should be submitted to Email: hech@life.ku.dk not later than 15 October (first come, first in).
 
Deadline for Registration15 October (first come, first in).
 
Credits6 (ECTS)
 
Level of CoursePhD course
 
Organisation of TeachingTheoretical and practical course with one week introduction course and a second week research project.
 
Language of InstructionEnglish
 
Restrictions20
 
Course Content
Week 1: Theory will be introduced by lectures in 35 % of the course time. Practical computer exercises will cover another 50 % of the course and 15 % of course time will be used to discuss exercises.
The exercises allow training in relation to the theory introduced and will be solved in groups of 1-3 persons per computer with extensive help from the teachers.
Day 1: DNA sequencing, databases, search functions and sequence exchange.
Day 2: Pairwise, multiple alignment, primer-design.
Day 3: Phylogeny.
Day 4: Genomics including metagenomics.
Day 5: Sequence based typing (MLST etc) and identification of microorganisms.

Week 2: The project work will involve groups of 1-3 students and be related to cases with microorganisms of environmental, food, veterinary and human health importance.
This part of the course is planned for students who want to work with their own projects related to their Ph. D. study in more detail. The week can be used directly to produce material for a scientific paper in relation to investigations in progress or the participant can do pilot investigations relevant to coming activities.
The project will be extensively supervised and will aim at writing up a project report. The outline of the report should be like a short scientific paper (Introduction, Material & methods, Results, Discussion, References). The students may use a template for the report delivered at course start with the most commen computer programs and references already included. Fixed case-work will be presented by the teachers related to protein structure, genomic browsers, recombination testing and population genetics. For students without a project it will be possible to select from predefined projects.
 
Teaching and learning Methods
Theoretical and practical course with one week introduction course and a second week research project.
 
Learning Outcome
The aim is to teach applied bioinformatics to the level that allows independent investigations and reporting in scientific papers relevant for the Ph. D. thesis.

The course introduces areas of bioinformatics relevant to microbial research within natural, agricultural, veterinary, and human health sciences at Ph. D. course level. The first week introductory couse is intended for students without previous background in bioinformatics. The second week is for students who have attended the first week or with bioinformatical skills achieved elsewhere.
 
Course Literature
Textbooks recommended especially for week 1:

Zvelebil, M. & Baum, J. O. 2008. Understanding Bioinformatics. Garland Science, New York.

Supplementary course books especially for week 2:
Felsenstein, J. 2004. Inferring phylogenies. Sinauer, Sunderland. (phylogeny including maximum likelihood analysis).

Nei, M. and Kumar, S. 2000. Molecular evolution and phylogenetics. Oxford Univ. Press.

Nielsen, R. 2006. Statistical methods in molecular evolution. Springer.

Petsko, G. A. and Ringe, D. 2004. Protein structure and function. New Science Press, London.


 
Course Material
You need to buy the book: Zvelebil, M. & Baum, J. O. 2008, listed above. Before the course you will have to read chapters 1-5, 7, 11 and 16 (320 pages). You will also have to read a compendium (35 pages).
 
Course Coordinator
Henrik Christensen, hech@life.ku.dk, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology/Section for Microbiology, Phone: 353-32783
 
Course Fee
According to LIFE, KU rules
 
Course Costs
According to LIFE, KU rules
 
Type of Evaluation
Week 1. Evaluation based on answers to the first week exercises Week 2. Evaluation of project report of second weeks work.
 
Work Load
lectures15
practicals35
project work75
preparation25

150