BMS5021 Introduction to Bioinformatics
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
BMS5021 Introduction to Bioinformatics is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2025 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before BMS5021
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After BMS5021
No unit lists BMS5021 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Must be enrolled in C6004 or M6003 or M6030 or M6036
Overview
This unit will train students in the principles and practical approaches of computational biology algorithms for Bioinformatics analyses of data derived from genes and proteins.
The unit will start by building solid foundational knowledge of the biology of the gene focusing on basic concepts of biological information stored in DNA and its translation to functional biomolecules.
Students will learn to critically evaluate leading existing bioinformatics tools used to address biological questions.
The unit completes the cycle of learning by asking students to apply this knowledge to the analysis of big datasets from biomedical and genomics experiments.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- MCQ and extended questions on biology of the geneQuiz / Test30%
- Oral presentation on bioinformatics algorithms and programs 2000 wordsPresentation30%
- Data analysis - omics project - written report (2,000 words)WrittenThreshold hurdle40%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Describe the relationships between DNA, RNA, and proteins and their roles in cell functioning.
- 2
Explain the health data life cycle and the relevance of computation in modern life sciences research.
- 3
Explain how nucleotide and protein sequence and structure data are represented and processed in computational biology.
- 4
Evaluate the merits and limitations of the major bioinformatics databases to solve specific computational biomedical problems.
- 5
Use bioinformatic tools and databases to analyse nucleotide or protein sequences.
- 6
Perform elementary statistical analysis on biomolecular and “omics” datasets and represent the outcomes in informative graphical displays and data summaries.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures24 hours
- Workshops48 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Per week: 6 hours of direct learning + 6 hours of self-directed learning.
For full details of the teaching approach to this unit, please refer to Moodle.
Learning resources
Required resources
See Moodle for details about required resources.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Peter Boag
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor Peter Boag
- Dr Ranjeeta Menon
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for BMS5021?
BMS5021 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is BMS5021 offered?
In 2025, BMS5021 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton.
Does BMS5021 have an exam?
No. BMS5021 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.