University of California San Diego
Molecular Evolution (Bioinformatics IV)
University of California San Diego

Molecular Evolution (Bioinformatics IV)

This course is part of Bioinformatics Specialization

Pavel  Pevzner
Phillip Compeau

Instructors: Pavel Pevzner

16,819 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.5

(77 reviews)

Intermediate level
Some related experience required
18 hours to complete
3 weeks at 6 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.5

(77 reviews)

Intermediate level
Some related experience required
18 hours to complete
3 weeks at 6 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

5 quizzes

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Placeholder

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Bioinformatics Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate
Placeholder
Placeholder

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

Placeholder

There are 6 modules in this course

<p>Welcome to our class!</p><p>In this class, we will consider the following two central biological&nbsp;questions (the computational approaches needed to solve them are shown in parentheses):</p><ol><li>Weeks 1-3: Which Animal Gave Us SARS? (<i>Evolutionary tree construction</i>)</li><li>Weeks 4-5: Was <em>T. rex</em> Just a Big Chicken?&nbsp;(<em>Combinatorial Algorithms</em>)</li></ol><p>In Week 6, you will complete a Bioinformatics Application Challenge to apply evolutionary tree construction algorithms in order to determine the origin of the recent ebola outbreak in Africa.</p><p>As in previous courses, each of these two chapters is accompanied by a Bioinformatics Cartoon created by talented artist Randall Christopher and serving as a chapter header in the Specialization's bestselling <a href="http://bioinformaticsalgorithms.com" target="_blank">print companion</a>. You can find the first chapter's cartoon at the bottom of this message. What do stick bugs and bats have to do with deadly viruses? And how can bioinformatics be used to stop these viruses in their tracks? Start learning today and find out!</p><p><img src="http://bioinformaticsalgorithms.com/images/cover/evolution_cropped.jpg" title="Image: http://bioinformaticsalgorithms.com/images/cover/evolution_cropped.jpg" width="528"></p>

What's included

5 videos2 readings1 quiz2 app items

<p>Welcome to Week 2 of class!</p> <p>Last week, we started to see how evolutionary trees can be constructed from distance matrices. &nbsp;This week, we will encounter additional algorithms for this purpose, including the neighbor-joining algorithm, which has become one of the top-ten most cited papers in all of science since its introduction three decades ago.</p>

What's included

3 videos1 reading1 quiz2 app items

<p>Welcome to week 3 of class!</p> <p>Over the last two weeks, we have seen several different algorithms for constructing evolutionary trees from distance matrices.</p> <p>This week, we will conclude the current chapter by considering what happens if we use properties called "characters" instead of distances. We will also see how to infer the ancestral states of organisms in an evolutionary tree, and consider whether it is possible to define an efficient algorithm for this task.</p>

What's included

4 videos1 reading1 quiz2 app items

<p>Welcome to week 4 of the class!</p> <p>Did birds evolve from dinosaurs? Over the next two weeks, we will see how we could analyze molecular evidence in support of this theory. You can find this week's Bioinformatics Cartoon from Randall Christopher at the bottom of this E-mail. Why does the <em>T. rex&nbsp;</em>look so much like a chicken? And why is the monkey typing frantically? Keep learning to find out!</p> <p><img src="http://bioinformaticsalgorithms.com/images/cover/proteomics_cropped.jpg" title="Image: http://bioinformaticsalgorithms.com/images/cover/proteomics_cropped.jpg" width="528"></p>

What's included

4 videos1 quiz2 app items

<p>Welcome to week 5 of class!</p> <p>Last week, we asked whether it is possible for dinosaur peptides to survive locked inside of a fossil for 65 million years. This week, we will see what this question has to do with statistics; in the process, we will see how a monkey typing out symbols on a typewriter can be used to address it.</p>

What's included

5 videos1 quiz2 app items

<p>Welcome to the sixth and final week of the course!</p> <p>In this week's Bioinformatics Application Challenge, we will use reconstruct an evolutionary tree of ebolaviruses and use it to determine the origin of the pathogen that caused the recent outbreak in Africa.</p>

What's included

1 peer review

Instructors

Pavel  Pevzner
University of California San Diego
16 Courses820,099 learners
Phillip Compeau
University of California San Diego
8 Courses280,807 learners

Offered by

Recommended if you're interested in Health Informatics

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

Showing 3 of 77

4.5

77 reviews

  • 5 stars

    71.42%

  • 4 stars

    16.88%

  • 3 stars

    7.79%

  • 2 stars

    0%

  • 1 star

    3.89%

ZX
5

Reviewed on Jul 20, 2019

DD
5

Reviewed on Oct 23, 2019

AB
4

Reviewed on Dec 4, 2016

New to Health Informatics? Start here.

Placeholder

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Frequently asked questions