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INFO-F434

Biological databases and analysis of macromolecular sequences

academic year
2023-2024
2024-2025

Course teacher(s)

Didier GONZE (Coordinator)

ECTS credits

5

Language(s) of instruction

english

Course content

Databases constitute the informatic response to the storage and the management of the (biological) information. The course will give an overview of biological databases and of their structure. A particular attention will be given to annotation problems and to the reliability of the data. In the second part of the course, we will present various methods of analysis of macromolecular sequences. Those methods include (1) DNA and protein sequence alignment (dot plot, pair-wise alignment, multiple alignment), (2) matching sequences in databases (BLAST), (3) representation and search of motifs in sequences, and (4) the prediction of 3D structural elements on the basis of the composition of the sequences. Various algorithms and softwares for biological sequence analyses will be described and compared. The implementation of some of these algorithms will be the object of the practicals (supervised by Ch. Nachtegael). The course will also introduce some statistical notions related to the analysis and comparison of sequences.

Objectives (and/or specific learning outcomes)

The goal of the course will be to introduce the students to biological databases and to methods of analysis of macromolecular sequences (DNA, RNA, and proteins)

Teaching methods and learning activities

lectures, practicals

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

Zvelebil and Baum, "Understanding Bioinformatics", Garland Science, 2007
 

Course notes

  • Université virtuelle

Other information

Contacts

Didier Gonze
Unité de Chronobiologie Théorique 
Service de Chimie Physique CP 231
Bureau: Campus Plaine, Bâtiment NO, 5ème étage, local 2.O.5.214
Email: dgonze@ulb.ac.be

Campus

Plaine

Evaluation

Method(s) of evaluation

  • Oral examination

Oral examination

Written examination (50%) + practicals (50%). In case of failure in one part, the final note will be the note of that part. In 2nd session, the student can either keep the note of the successful part and present it again. In case of failure in the two parts, the final note will be the lowest note of the two parts and the student must present the two parts in 2nd session.
 

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

The final note will take into account the evaluation of the practicals (50%) and the written exam (50%). If the note obtained in one of the two parts is below 10/20, this note will be taken as the final note. 

Language(s) of evaluation

  • english
  • french

Programmes