Professor Sharon Crook
323 Neville Hall, (207) 581-3919
crook@math.umaine.edu or First Class

Description: As the human race examines its own genome, an interdisciplinary effort involving molecular biologists, biochemists, mathematicians, and computer scientists is crucial for extracting the relevant information. Computational methods provide the basis for all experimental science and engineering and will be critical to the development of both advanced experimental and analytical tools in genomics. This course will provide an introduction to some of the mathematical and computational techniques that have been developed to analyze, model, and understand the large volume of biological data generated by genome sequencing, proteomics, and cellular measurements of gene expression changes. The course is intended to prepare graduate students from several disciplines for the new avenues in research provided by molecular sequence and genome map data.

Prerequisites: single-variable calculus, introductory statistics, some introductory experience with computer programming OR permission of the instructor 

Lectures:  The course will meet twice a week. Dr. Crook will provide background material and assign readings from the texts and relevant journal publications. There will be several guest lecturers from The Jackson Laboratory and UMaine.

Texts: The following texts will be used in the course.

Author:  MOUNT          Title:  BIOINFORMATICS                                 
Publisher:  COLD SPRNG HARBOR PRESS      ISBN:  0-87969-608-7

Author:  BALDI          Title:  DNA MICROARRAYS AND GENE EXPRESSION          
Publisher:  CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS       ISBN:  0-521-80022-6