Large-scale biology projects such as the sequencing of the human genome and gene expression surveys using RNA-seq, microarrays and other technologies have created a wealth of data for biologists. However, the challenge facing scientists is analyzing and even accessing these data to extract useful information pertaining to the system being studied. This course focuses on employing existing bioinformatic resources – mainly web-based programs and databases – to access the wealth of data to answer questions relevant to the average biologist, and is highly hands-on. Topics covered include multiple sequence alignments, phylogenetics, gene expression data analysis, and protein interaction networks, in two separate parts. The first part, Bioinformatic Methods I, dealt with databases, Blast, multiple sequence alignments, phylogenetics, selection analysis and metagenomics. This, the second part, Bioinformatic Methods II, will cover motif searching, protein-protein interactions, structural bioinformatics, gene expression data analysis, and cis-element predictions. This pair of courses is useful to any student considering graduate school in the biological sciences, as well as students considering molecular medicine. These courses are based on one taught at the University of Toronto to upper-level undergraduates who have some understanding of basic molecular biology. If you're not familiar with this, something like https://learn.saylor.org/course/view.php?id=889 might be helpful. No programming is required for this course although some command line work (though within a web browser) occurs in the 5th module. Bioinformatic Methods II is regularly updated, and was last updated for February 2026.
HD
Well organized and easy to learn with good laboratory practice.
MR
It was a very complete course to understand protein interaction and how to use data bases to quantify itI recommend this course to every master student doing molecular biology or genetics.
TA
This is a great course for anyone who wants to learn about bioinformatics.
MC
Excellent course! The professor was great and very responsive to the forums on the course.
F
I was a very very useful course, specially the heatmap plot generation and R language lab exercises was great!
SK
Excellent course. Complicated concepts made easy to understand. I can apply what I have studied to my own research now.
AP
Very good job in introducing new programs for analysing data in this field. Interesting and I hope it will benefit me in my masters degree. I recomend !
NF
The course is good overall except for the part of using R commands. I have learned many new things. I especially liked the final assignment part.
PK
very informative course and it is very well explainedgood work
EK
Dear professor Provart, My sincere thanks for a hugely beneficial course in Bioinformatic II. Your teaching made a significant difference. Elshiekh Khidir
MA
I really appreciate these series of courses, I want to thank Prof. Provart and his coligues for their great job on preparing and presenting these series. Thanks a lot!
RG
Lectures were very informative, but some (gene expression analysis) lab exercises need more explanation
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The course is a great introduction to bioinformatics to anyone who has never had any contact with it before. The lessons are taught in a very simple and understandable language. The only downside is that its a bit too focused on tools that are only available for plant scientists.
Very good course and yes it is definitely levelled up compared to first course. but you can always do well as there are instuctions given at each step when doing the lab. There are so many things that i explored in this course like viewing protein structures in PyMOL, visualizing expressed genes as a heatmap, and exploring gene expression databases such as BAR. GOOD EXPERIENCE AND THANKU PROFESSOR NICHOLAS PROVART.
I have benefited from this course a lot. I now know how to do bioinformatic analysis with using various of softwares. In this course I have learned to analyze the protein motifs and profiles, use databases to investigate protein protein interactions, visualize the structures of proteins and the expression of genes. As an undergraduate student, I really enjoyed doing this 8-week hands-on practice!
It is really so informative professional course which provides the support to the modern molecular biologists and other scientists in bio-sciences to understand the basics of genomic data and how to analyze it professionally. Many thanks to the course team.
I absolutely loved this course. The material is highly relevant to someone who works with large databases and computational tools. The lab portion really demonstrates how different online resources can help answer research questions.
The course is nicely put together. The hands-on experience with the lab exercises makes the course more experiential. I have gained both the knowledge of the latest tools and programs used in Bioinformatics.
Hi Nicholas, Thank you so much for giving a lot of information. Bioinformatic Methods II was little difficult but understood after repeating the lad discussions. Thanks a lot.
Great way of teaching. Step by step procedure followed in this course enable the learners to grasp quickly and efficiently. Thank you
Excellent course. Complicated concepts made easy to understand. I can apply what I have studied to my own research now.
Well organized and easy to learn with good laboratory practice.
The first part is very well presented however what I did not particularly like was the part where R program was included. It basically taught to copy and paste R commands into the program without teaching how the program really works, so in the future, we still won't be able to use it. Other than that, great course!
it was very informative and the labs are really good.
I recently completed an online course on Bioinformatics Methods II and found it to be an exceptional learning experience. The course was well-structured, offering a comprehensive overview of key bioinformatics techniques and tools. The material was presented clearly, and the hands-on exercises were invaluable for applying theoretical knowledge to practical problems. The instructors were knowledgeable and provided excellent support throughout the course. The interactive modules and real-world case studies helped to solidify my understanding and enhance my skills in bioinformatics. Whether you're new to the field or looking to expand your expertise, this course is an excellent resource. Highly recommended!
It is excellent and absorbing cource of bioinformatics. I enjoyed it a lot: many interesting and complex topics are explained by Prof. Provart. And almost everything becomes clear.
Only one topic was significantly difficult for me - the topic about gene expression, where R programming is applied. Some commands work only in online version of R. I nees some more time to realize the algorithm of this magic.
I recommend this course for most advanced students of medical university, and they have been expanded their horizonts of understanding biochemistry.
I really enjoyed the course -- especially learning more about proteins, gene expression and cis regulatory elements for example. The material provided has extra readings to augment what was done in the lectures and Labs. The discussion forum is active and from time to time the instructor answers the questions in the forum as well as mentors. A good place to start if you're starting out learning bioinformatics.
Bioinformatics Methods II provides a broad overview of several bioinformatics techniques for co-expression analyses. Lessons & Labs are as interesting and exciting as the ones of Bioinformatics Methods I - which I suggest to attend as well.
Again, this "training on the job" approach is useful for achieving familiarity with this rich and many-sided subject.
Thanks professor Provart & team for this!!!
If you're not sure where to start with Proteomics this is the best course to go with. Thank you so much for such a comprehensive course. I really enjoyed the course, especially the lab work given every week. I feel confident to explore these tools and databases for my projects. Thank you once again.
I just loved the course, I learned several tools in a short time and I hope to take advantage of them in the future. This course encouraged me to continue with similar ones.
Many thanks to Professor Provart, for his simple way of explaining, I hope he continues to dictate other courses in the future.
Informative and well explained ! I have learned so many skills from this course and will recommend both of the courses ( I and II) to anyone who is interested in learning bioinformatics! Many Many thanks to Sir "Provart" for making such an amazing course.
Gives the student real world exposure to the tools to study proteins gene regulation, etc. Instructor is involved and friendly. Highly recommended for someone who is interested in contemporary