SYBB Course Descriptions

SYBB 311/411A is a 5-week course that introduces students to the high-throughput technologies used to collect data for bioinformatics research in the fields of genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. In particular, we will focus on mass spectrometer-based proteomics, DNA and RNA sequencing, genotyping, protein microarrays, and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. This is a lecture-based course that relies heavily on out-of-class readings. Graduate students will be expected to write a report and give an oral presentation at the end of the course. SYBB 311/411A is part of the SYBB survey series which is composed of the following course sequence: (1) Technologies in Bioinformatics, (2) Data Integration in Bioinformatics, (3) Translational Bioinformatics, and (4) Programming for Bioinformatics. Each standalone section of this course series introduces students to an aspect of a bioinformatics project - from data collection (SYBB 311/411A), to data integration (SYBB 311/411B), to research applications (SYBB 311/411C), with a fourth module (SYBB 311/411D) introducing basic programming skills. Graduate students have the option of enrolling in all four courses or choosing the individual modules most relevant to their background and goals with the exception of SYBB411D, which must be taken with SYBB411A. Offered as SYBB 311A, BIOL 311A and SYBB 411A. Prereq: (BIOL 214 andBIOL 215) or BIOL 250. Coreq: SYBB 311B, SYBB 311C, and SYBB 311D.

SYBB 311/411B is a five week course that surveys the conceptual models and tools used to analyze and interpret data collected by high-throughput technologies, providing an entry points for students new to the field of bioinformatics. The knowledge structures that we will cover include: biomedical ontologies, signaling pathways, and interaction networks. We will also cover tools for genome exploration and analysis. The SYBB survey series is composed of the following course sequence: (1) Technologies in Bioinformatics, (2) Data Integration in Bioinformatics, (3) Translational Bioinformatics, and (4) Programming for Bioinformatics. Each standalone section of this course series introduces students to an aspect of a bioinformatics project - from data collection (SYBB 311/411A), to data integration (SYBB 311/411B), to research applications (SYBB 311/411C), with a fourth module (SYBB 311/411D) introducing basic programming. Graduate students have the option of enrolling in all four courses or choosing the individual modules most relevant to their background and goals with the exception of SYBB411D, which must be taken with SYBB411A. Offered as SYBB 311,BIOL 311B, and SYBB 411B. Prereq: (BIOL 214 and BIOL 215) or BIOL 250. Coreq: SYBB 311A, SYBB 311C, and SYBB 311D.

SYBB 311/411C is a longitudinal course that introduces students to the latest applications of bioinformatics, with a focus on translational research. Topics include: -omic drug discovery, pharmacogenomics, microbiome analysis, and genomic medicine. The focus of this course is on illustrating how bioinformatic technologies can be paired with data integration tools for various applications in medicine. The course is organized as a weekly journal club, with instructors leading the discussion of recent literature in the field of bioinformatics. Students will be expected to complete readings beforehand; students will also work in teams to write weekly reports reviewing journal articles in the field. The SYBB survey series is composed of the following course sequence: (1) Technologies in Bioinformatics, (2) Data Integration in Bioinformatics, (3) Translational Bioinformatics, and (4) Programming for Bioinformatics. Each standalone section of this course series introduces students to an aspect of a bioinformatics project - from data collection (SYBB 311/411A), to data integration (SYBB 311/411B), to research applications (SYBB 311/411C), with a fourth module (SYBB 311/411D) introducing basic programming. Graduate students have the option of enrolling in all four courses or choosing the individual modules most relevant to their background and goals with the exception of SYBB411D, which must be taken with SYBB411A. Offered as SYBB 311C, BIOL 311C and SYBB 411C. Prereq: (BIOL 214 and BIOL 215) or BIOL 250. Coreq:SYBB 311A, SYBB 311B, and SYBB 311D.

Applications of probability and stochastic processes to biological systems. Mathematical topics will include: introduction to discrete and continuous probability spaces (including numerical generation of pseudo random samples from specified probability distributions), Markov processes in discrete and continuous time with discrete and continuous sample spaces, point processes including homogeneous and inhomogeneous Poisson processes and Markov chains on graphs, and diffusion processes including Brownian motion and the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. Biological topics will be determined by the interests of the students and the instructor. Likely topics include: stochastic ion channels, molecular motors and stochastic ratchets, actin and tubulin polymerization, random walk models for neural spike trains, bacterial chemotaxis, signaling and genetic regulatory networks, and stochastic predator-prey dynamics. The emphasis will be on practical simulation and analysis of stochastic phenomena in biological systems. Numerical methods will be developed using a combination of MATLAB, the R statistical package, MCell, and/or URDME, at the discretion of the instructor. Student projects will comprise a major part of the course. Offered as BIOL 319, EECS 319, MATH 319, SYBB 319, BIOL 419, EBME 419, MATH 419, PHOL 419, and SYBB 419 . Prereq: MATH 224 or MATH 223 and BIOL 300 or BIOL 306 and MATH 201 or MATH 307 or consent of instructor.

This course is part of a two semester series that provides student with an overview of the field of clinical informatics and its research applications. SYBB 422 focuses on the use of informatics in public health, epidemiology, and translational bioinformatics; topics include: pharmacosurveillance, comparative effectiveness research, and personalized medicine. Through lectures and in-depth readings of literature in the field, students will learn to approach population-level problems in medicine through the lens of "informatics", the science of information, with a focus on application over theory. Students will be required to use R (or another programming language) for data analysis assignments. Offered as SYBB 322 and SYBB 422. Prereq: SYBB 321.

This course provides students research experience in data science, proteomics, bioinformatics, and clinical informatics under the guidance of faculty affiliated with the Systems Biology and Bioinformatics program. Areas of research include production of big data at bench (cellular proteomics, structural proteomics, genomics, and interaction proteomics) and analysis of big data such as computational/statistical biology, bioinformatics tool development and clinical research informatics. A written report must be approved by the sponsor and submitted to the director of the Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics before credit is granted.

Guided laboratory research under the sponsorship of a biology faculty member. May be carried out within the biology department or in associated departments. Appropriate forms must be secured in the biology department office. A written report must be approved by the biology sponsor and submitted to the chairman of the biology department before credit is granted. Only 3 credit-hours may count towards the biology majors or minor. Offered as BIOL 388 and SYBB 388.

Guided laboratory research under the sponsorship of a biology faculty member. May be carried out within the biology department or in associated departments. May be taken only one semester during the student's academic career. Appropriate forms must be secured in the biology department office. A written report must be approved by the biology sponsor and submitted to the chairman of the biology department before credit is granted. A public presentation is required. Offered as BIOL 388S and SYBB 388S. Counts as SAGES Senior Capstone.

SYBB 311/411A is a 5-week course that introduces students to the high-throughput technologies used to collect data for bioinformatics research in the fields of genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. In particular, we will focus on genotyping, DNA/RNA sequencing, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. This is a lecture-based course that relies heavily on out-of-class readings. Students will be assigned three research papers for writing reports, two of which will be used also for paper presentations in teams. Graduate students will be expected to give an oral presentation on an article related to the subjects of this course at the end of the course.

SYBB 311/411A is part of the SYBB survey series which is composed of the following course sequence: (1) Technologies in Bioinformatics, (2) Data Integration in Bioinformatics, (3) Translational Bioinformatics, and (4) Programming for Bioinformatics. Each standalone section of this course series introduces students to an aspect of a bioinformatics project - from data collection (SYBB 311/411A), to data integration (SYBB 311/411B), to research applications (SYBB 311/411C), with a fourth module (SYBB 412) introducing basic programming skills.

Undergraduate students

Prerequisites: BIOL 214 and 215; OR  BIOL 250

Undergraduate students must register for all four modules (SYBB 411A, B, C and D).

Graduate students

Prerequisites: Graduate standing OR Prerequisites not met permission

Graduate students have the option of enrolling in all four courses or choosing the individual modules most relevant to their background and goals with the exception of SYBB 412, which must be taken with SYBB 411A.

SYBB 311/411B is a five week course that surveys the conceptual models and tools used to analyze and interpret data collected by high-throughput technologies, providing an entry points for students new to the field of bioinformatics. The knowledge structures that we will cover include: biomedical ontologies, signaling pathways, and interaction networks. We will also cover tools for genome exploration and analysis. The SYBB survey series is composed of the following course sequence: (1) Technologies in Bioinformatics, (2) Data Integration in Bioinformatics, (3) Translational Bioinformatics, and (4) Programming for Bioinformatics. Each standalone section of this course series introduces students to an aspect of a bioinformatics project - from data collection (SYBB 311/411A), to data integration (SYBB 311/411B), to research applications (SYBB 311/411C), with a fourth module (SYBB 311/411D) introducing basic programming. Graduate students have the option of enrolling in all four courses or choosing the individual modules most relevant to their background and goals with the exception of SYBB411D, which must be taken with SYBB411A. Offered as SYBB 311, BIOL 311B, and SYBB 411B. Prereq: Graduate Standing or Requisites Not Met Permission.

SYBB 311/411C is a longitudinal course that introduces students to the latest applications of bioinformatics, with a focus on translational research. Topics include: -omic drug discovery, pharmacogenomics, microbiome analysis, and genomic medicine. The focus of this course is on illustrating how bioinformatic technologies can be paired with data integration tools for various applications in medicine. The course is organized as a weekly journal club, with instructors leading the discussion of recent literature in the field of bioinformatics. Students will be expected to complete readings beforehand; students will also work in teams to write weekly reports reviewing journal articles in the field. The SYBB survey series is composed of the following course sequence: (1) Technologies in Bioinformatics, (2) Data Integration in Bioinformatics, (3) Translational Bioinformatics, and (4) Programming for Bioinformatics. Each standalone section of this course series introduces students to an aspect of a bioinformatics project - from data collection (SYBB 311/411A), to data integration (SYBB 311/411B), to research applications (SYBB 311/411C), with a fourth module (SYBB 311/411D) introducing basic programming. Graduate students have the option of enrolling in all four courses or choosing the individual modules most relevant to their background and goals with the exception of SYBB411D, which must be taken with SYBB411A. Offered as SYBB 311C, BIOL 311C and SYBB 411C. Prereq: Graduate Standing or Requisites Not Met Permission.

SYBB 412 is a 3 credit-course that will introduce students to bioinformatics analysis and basic programming. This course is designed for those with little or no prior programming experience. However, advanced programmers can still learn bioinformatics pipelines and software packages to conduct research. Students will gain hands-on experience working with bioinformatics software, R packages and functions designed for bioinformatics applications. Programming for Bioinformatics course mainly focuses on R (rproject.org), and introduces students to basic programming in R, what packages are available, and teaches an introductory hands-on experience working with R by walking through the students in analyzing large -omics datasets. At the end of the class, the students are assessed with a small-scale project, where they analyze a publicly available dataset and produce a short report. This is an active learning class where adaptive learning and active learning teaching practices are used. Adaptive learning provide personalized learning, where efficient, effective, and customized learning paths to engage each student is offered. Recommended Preparation: BIOL 326 (Genetics) or equivalent Prereq: (SYBB 411A and Graduate Standing) or Requisites Not Met Permission.

Applications of probability and stochastic processes to biological systems. Mathematical topics will include: introduction to discrete and continuous probability spaces (including numerical generation of pseudo random samples from specified probability distributions), Markov processes in discrete and continuous time with discrete and continuous sample spaces, point processes including homogeneous and inhomogeneous Poisson processes and Markov chains on graphs, and diffusion processes including Brownian motion and the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. Biological topics will be determined by the interests of the students and the instructor. Likely topics include: stochastic ion channels, molecular motors and stochastic ratchets, actin and tubulin polymerization, random walk models for neural spike trains, bacterial chemotaxis, signaling and genetic regulatory networks, and stochastic predator-prey dynamics. The emphasis will be on practical simulation and analysis of stochastic phenomena in biological systems. Numerical methods will be developed using a combination of MATLAB, the R statistical package, MCell, and/or URDME, at the discretion of the instructor. Student projects will comprise a major part of the course. Offered as BIOL 319, EECS 319, MATH 319, SYBB 319, BIOL 419, EBME 419, MATH 419,PHOL 419, and SYBB 419.

Technology has played a significant role in the evolution of medical science and treatment. While we often think about progress in terms of the practical application of, say, imaging to the diagnosis and monitoring of disease, technology is increasingly expected to improve the organization and delivery of healthcare services, too. Information technology plays a key role in the transformation of administrative support systems (finance and administration), clinical information systems (information to support patient care), and decision support systems (managerial decision-making). This introductory graduate course provides the student with the opportunity to gain insight and situational experience with clinical information systems (CIS). Often considered synonymous with electronic medical records, the "art" of CIS more fundamentally examines the effective use of data and information technology to assist in the migration away from paper-based systems and improve organizational performance. In this course we examine clinical information systems in the context of (A) operational and strategic information needs, (B) information technology and analytic tools for workflow design, and (C) subsequent implementation of clinical information systems in patient care. Legal and ethical issues are explored. The student learns the process of "plan, design, implement" through hands-on applications to select CIS problems, while at the same time gaining insights and understanding of the impacts placed on patients and health care providers. Offered as EBME 473, IIME 473 and SYBB 421.

This course is part of a two semester series that provides student with an overview of the field of clinical informatics and its research applications. SYBB 422 focuses on the use of informatics in public health, epidemiology, and translational bioinformatics; topics include: pharmacosurveillance, comparative effectiveness research, and personalized medicine. Through lectures and in-depth readings of literature in the field, students will learn to approach population-level problems in medicine through the lens of "informatics", the science of information, with a focus on application over theory. Students will be required to use R (or another programming language) for data analysis assignments. Offered as SYBB 322 and SYBB 422. Prereq: SYBB 321.

SYBB 437 is designed to train students, postdoctoral fellows, and senior investigators in advanced methods in quantitative proteomics in the context of investigating the effects of pH on protein expression in the model organism E-coli. This intensive laboratory class is a 3-credit laboratory course and will be offered for a scheduled three hours time block once each week. In this course, we will cover topics in proteomics including protein sample preparation, total protein quantification, gel based separation and quantification methods, quantitative high throughput mass spectrometry and data analysis methods for examining these high throughput data. Students enrolled in SYBB 437 will be expected to turn in weekly lab reports summarizing their findings on each of the lab topics and will write two project reports at the end of labs 9 and 14 interpreting and summarizing the results obtained.

Description of -omic data (biological sequences, gene expression, protein-protein interactions, protein-DNA interactions, protein expression, metabolomics, biological ontologies), regulatory network inference, topology of regulatory networks, computational inference of protein-protein interactions, protein interaction databases, topology of protein interaction networks, module and protein complex discovery, network alignment and mining, computational models for network evolution, network-based functional inference, metabolic pathway databases, topology of metabolic pathways, flux models for analysis of metabolic networks, network integration, inference of domain-domain interactions, signaling pathway inference from protein interaction networks, network models and algorithms for disease gene identification, identification of dysregulated subnetworks network-based disease classification. Offered as EECS 459 and SYBB 459.

Medical device innovations that would have been considered science fiction a decade ago are already producing new standards of patient care. Innovation leading to lower cost of care, minimally invasive procedures and shorter recovery times is equally important to healthcare business leaders, educators, clinicians, and policy-makers. Innovation is a driver of regional economic development and wealth creation in organizational units ranging in size from the start-up to the Fortune 500 companies. In a broader context, the pace of translational research leading to product and service innovation is highly interdisciplinary, thus, new products and services result from team efforts, marked by a systematic, structured approach to bringing new medical technologies to market and impacting patient care. In this course we examine medical technology innovations in the context of (A) addressing unmet clinical needs, (B) the process of inventing new medical devices and instruments, and (C) subsequent implementation of these advances in patient care. In short, the student learns the process of "identify, invent, implement" in the field of BioDesign. Offered as EBME 472,IIME 472 and SYBB 472.

The purpose of this journal club is to provide an opportunity for students to critically discuss a wide variety of informatics and systems biology topics and to present their works in progress. A wide range of informatics and systems theory approaches to conducting biomedical research will be accomplished through the guided selection of articles to be discussed during the club. Potential articles will be chosen from scientific journals including: Nature, Science, BMC Bioinformatics, BMC Systems Biology, the Journal of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and the Journal for Biomedical Informatics. During journal presentations, trainees will be expected to lead a discussion of the article that leads to the critical evaluation of the merit of the article and its implication for biomedical informatics and systems biology. The Journal Club will also provide a forum for trainees to present proposed, on-going, and completed research. Trainees will attend and participate in the Journal Club throughout their tenure in the program. The Journal Club will meet twice a month and each trainee will be required to present one journal article and one research in progress presentation yearly. The Journal Club will also include sessions where issues related to the responsible conduct of research are reviewed and extended.

The Clinical Informatics Journal Club serves as a forum for students to present current research in the field of clinical informatics. Students are required to co-register for SYBB 421or SYBB 422; weekly lectures in SYBB 421/422 will introduce topics for discussion in the journal club Coreq: SYBB 421 or SYBB 422

For students pursuing MS or PhD degrees in SYBB, this course provides the opportunity for in-depth exposure to a subfield of systems biology and/or biomedical informatics. Degree-seeking students can enroll in this course prior to beginning 601 or 701 research. In conjunction with their proposed research advisor, enrolled students will undertake a self-directed study of a subfield of systems biology and/or biomedical informatics pertinent to their research area. The selected readings may also represent topics not covered by the student's coursework. The student's performance will be evaluated in an end-of-semester presentation or report at their advisor's discretion.

This course is designed for graduate students across the university who wish to acquire a better understanding of fundamental concepts of proteomics and hands-on experience with techniques used in current proteomics. Lectures will cover protein/peptide separation techniques, protein mass spectrometry, bioinformatics tools, and biological applications which include quantitative proteomics, protein modification proteomics, interaction proteomics, structural genomics and structural proteomics. Laboratory portion will involve practice on the separation of proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, molecular weight measurement of proteins by mass spectrometry, peptide structural characterization by tandem mass spectrometry and protein identification using computational tools. The instructors' research topics will also be discussed. Recommended preparation: CBIO 453 and CBIO 455. Offered as PHRM 555 and SYBB 555.

Offered as EECS 600 and SYBB 600.

(Credit as arranged.) Prereq: Predoctoral research consent or advanced to PhD candidacy milestone.