Bioinformatics Algorithms: Solving Biological Puzzles with Code

Modern biology is a data science, where decoding the language of life requires powerful computational tools. If you want to understand how computer scientists help map genomes and track viral mutations, learning bioinformatics algorithms is the perfect starting point. This text-only course guides you through the foundational algorithms used to solve complex biological puzzles. You will transition from understanding basic biological strings to analyzing DNA sequences and reconstructing evolutionary histories using structured, step-by-step logic. What you'll learn: Understand the core biological concepts of DNA, RNA, and proteins from a computational perspective; Analyze genome assembly algorithms, including de Bruijn graphs and overlap-layout-consensus approaches; Implement sequence alignment techniques using dynamic programming to find similarities between genes; Construct evolutionary trees using distance-based and character-based clustering methods; Utilize modern Python practices, including type hints and efficient data structures, to write clean bioinformatics scripts; Explore modern database search heuristics, such as the fundamentals behind BLAST, to compare unknown sequences. The course begins with foundational molecular biology terminology and basic string manipulation. You will then progress through genome assembly, sequence alignment, and evolutionary tree construction, applying your knowledge through written code walkthroughs and conceptual exercises. This course is designed for curious beginners, software developers looking to enter the biotech space, and biology students wanting to learn the computational side of their field. No prior bioinformatics experience is required, though a basic familiarity with Python is helpful. Start your journey into computational biology and unlock the secrets hidden within genomic data today.