Computing in Molecular Biology
MCB 432
Spring 2009
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(http://www.life.uiuc.edu/mcb/432/)

Topics, Readings, Handouts and Assignments
(topics and dates are subject to change)

No. Date Topic Reading before class Handouts Assignments
1 Jan. 20 Introduction & What can we learn from a sequence? Course description
2 Jan. 22 Resources: Entrez PubMed summary
3 Jan. 27 Resources: Entrez and other databases Assignment 1 (PDF, doc)
4 Jan. 29 Sequence Similarity & Sequence Function
5 Feb. 3 Basic Probability and Statistics Basic Probability Assignment 1 due
Assignment 2 (PDF, doc)
6 Feb. 5 Binomial, Poisson and Bayesian Binomial and Poisson
7 Feb. 10 Binomial, Poisson and Bayesian Bayesian Statistics Assignment 2 due
8 Feb. 12 Local Sequence Similarity Sequence Similarity Assignment 3 (PDF, doc)
9 Feb. 17 Local Sequence Similarity: Probabilities & Scores
10 Feb. 19 Sequence Similarity & Sequence Function Assignment 3 due
Assignment 4 (PDF, doc)
11 Feb. 24 Sequence Similarity & Sequence Function
12 Feb. 26 Conserved Domains, Psi-BLAST & Profiles Assignment 1 key(PDF)
Assignment 2 key(PDF)
Assignment 4 due
13 Mar. 3 Global Alignment and Multiple Sequence Alignment Global Alignment Assignment 5 (PDF, doc, pep1.txt)
14 Mar. 5 Multiple Alignment and Loose Ends
15 Mar. 10 → Horizontal Gene Transfer ← Assignment 5 due
16 Mar. 12 NMPDR and The SEED — Dr. Claudia Reich
17 Mar. 17 More on The SEED Assignment 6 (revision) (PDF, doc, dna1.txt)
18 Mar. 19 Codon Usage
Mar. 24 Spring Break Play hard
Mar. 26 Spring Break Play hard
19 Mar. 31 Phylogeny: Introduction & Maximum Parsimony Phylogenetic Inference
20 Apr. 2 Phylogeny: Models, Distances & Maximum Likelihood Assignment 3 key(PDF) Assignment 7 (PDF, doc)
21 Apr. 7 Phylogeny: Maximum Likelihood 2 & Bayesian
22 Apr. 9 Phylogeny: Errors & Uncertainties Assignment 7 due
Assignment 8 (PDF, doc)
23 Apr. 14 Phylogeny: Errors & Uncertainties
24 Apr. 16 Thermal Adaptation
25 Apr. 21 Subsystems and Consistency in Annotations Assignment 8 due
26 Apr. 23 Subsystems and Consistency in Annotations Assignment 9 (PDF, doc, GlnRS.txt)
27 Apr. 28 RNA Structure Assignment 4 key(PDF)
Assignment 5 key(PDF)
Assignment 10 (PDF, doc, pep10a, dna10a)
28 Apr. 30 Assignment 6 key(PDF)
Assignment 7 key(PDF)
Assignment 9 due
29 May 5 Assignment 8 key(PDF)
Assignment 9 key(PDF)
Assignment 10 key(PDF)
Assignment 10 due
May 13 Final Examination Date (but no final)

If you encounter errors or difficulties, please send E-mail to:
gary@life.illinois.edu (Gary J. Olsen)
Be sure to provide the URL of the troublesome page(s).