James R. Walters' Lab

Fall 2013 Basic computational data analysis for biologists using R.  (BIOL 701)

Biological research is becoming increasingly data-rich.  Whether you are analyzing next-generation sequencing, ecological remote sensing, or citizen science contributions, standard tools like spreadsheet programs typically are inefficient or ineffective for achieving the desired outcomes with today's large-scale data sets.  Often a far more efficient, powerful, and flexible approach is writing your own scripts to analyze and visualize your data.  The aim of this course is to facilitate building a foundational skill set for computational data analysis using the statistical and graphical scripting language "R".  This course assumes no prior experience with coding or scripting and only a very modest mastery of statistics. 

 

Fall 2014 Introductory Genetics (BIOL 350)

Why are related individuals more similar than unrelated individuals and what is the basis for heritable traits? From Mendel's discoveries of the patterns of genetic inheritance, to the study of transmissible hereditary factors, genetics is central to understanding the biological sciences. Topics to be covered include molecular genetics and genetic engineering, Mendelian genetics and mapping, the control of gene expression, cytogenetics, epigenetics and non-Mendelian genetics, and population and quantitative genetics. Examples will be taken from a wide variety of organisms, including viruses, bacteria, plants, fungi, insects, and humans. Genetics is both a body of knowledge encompassing genetic transmission and function, and an experimental approach to the study of biological processes. In addition to acquiring the necessary background knowledge in genetics, throughout the semester we will emphasize problem solving and the analysis of genetic data.

 

Spring 2014 Introductory Genetics (BIOL 350)

 

Fall 2015 Basic computational data analysis for biologists using R. (BIOL 701)

 

Spring 2016 Introductory Genetics (BIOL 350)

 

Fall 2017 Basic computational data analysis for biologists using R. (BIOL 701)

 

Fall 2018 Basic computational data analysis for biologists using R. (BIOL 701)