Animal Genomics

Catalog description

Foundations in genomics, proteomics, epigenomics, and basic bioinformatics, and their applications in animal breeding, health, production, reproduction, nutrition, and medicine. AN SC 543 Animal Genomics (3) Genomics is a branch of genetics concerned with the study of genome sequence, assembly, and analysis of the structure and function of genomes. It is an interdisciplinary field involving the marriage of molecular biology, robotics, and computing. The course is designed to foster an appreciation for the importance of genomics as applied to animal agriculture and medicine and to provide a knowledge base that enables students to successfully move on and master advanced topics in genomics. Additionally, the course will introduce students to approaches and techniques used to sequence and analyze animal genomes and provide a hands-on learning environment to familiarize students with genome databases and basic bioinformatics tools. The course will combine lecture discussion of current literature with hands-on genomic analysis with focus on genome structure & organization, genome sequencing & annotation, animal genome projects & comparative mapping, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery & genome-wide association study (GWAS), genomic selection, non-coding RNA, microarray analysis, proteomics, epigenomics, phylogenomics, and systems biology. Each topic will have one or more computer-based lab sections that are designed to provide students with further information related to the topic, with a particular focus on how to navigate genome databases and how to carry out basic bioinformatics analysis for their research projects. This course is suitable for graduate students, professional research scientists, and any student who has a BS in life science and wants to learn more about animal genomics and its sub-disciplines.