Exploring Our Genome

Catalog description

Genomics has exploded with exciting discoveries and spawned new technological developments. Personal genomics and personalized health care are now a reality – it’s possible and affordable to have your genome scanned. This course investigates the same fundamental questions while using the same approaches and techniques as scientists who study genetics, behavior, and disease. These pressing questions include: What does genetics tell us about ourselves? How do we study and analyze our personal genome data? How can common genetic variations inform our decisions about disease risk, lifestyles, and behaviors? We will delve into the field of genomics, learn how genome sequence data is obtained and analyzed, the limitations of that data, the ethical, legal and societal implications of that data, and most importantly, to increase scientific literacy, we will explore human genome data in a semester-long, guided research project. This course will equip students with basic skills in how to manage datasets, compose statistics, and provide meaningful analysis of genomic data using tables and charts. The concepts learned can connect to other fields, adding to students’ “toolbox” of professional and scientific skills. All majors and interests complement this course. No prior scientific or statistical/analytical background is assumed. This course affords students the ability to critically examine and evaluate the principles of the scientific method, model construction, and use the scientific method to explain natural experiences and phenomena.