Fall 2026 · Utah Valley University

Introduction to Bioinformatics

BIOL 1011-001  ·  Dr. Carl Hjelmen  ·  Fall 2026
Tue / Thu Introductory · 3 Credits 15 Weeks Includes R Programming

Course Info

CourseBIOL 1011-001
SemesterFall 2026
FormatTue / Thu in-person
InstructorDr. Carl Hjelmen
OfficeSB 242b
EmailCarl.Hjelmen@uvu.edu
Download Syllabus

Questions & Contact

Email is the best way to reach me. Check the contact page for office hours and my calendar.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Distinguish the process of science from other ways of understanding the world
  2. Evaluate evidence to solve problems using scientific thinking
  3. Describe the basic terminology and principles of bioinformatic "omics" — genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, etc.
  4. Contrast the different methodologies of DNA sequencing
  5. Effectively use databases, websites, and computational methods for studying biological data in relation to the evolution of genes, proteins, and whole genomes
  6. Interact with the practical applications of bioinformatics, including basic coding in R

Course Schedule

Subject to change — check Canvas for updates
Exam / final project No class / break Reading Assignment due
1
R Aug. 20
Introduction to Bioinformatics
Syllabus Quiz
Lesk: Preface, pp. 34–47; Gauthier et al. 2019; Markowetz 2017
2
T Aug. 25
R Aug. 27
Scientific Process
Evolution
Scientific Process Case Study
Lesk: pp. 1–7
3
T Sep. 1
R Sep. 3
Evolution (cont.)
Inheritance
Evolution Worksheet
4
T Sep. 8
R Sep. 10
Variation and Selection
Central Dogma — DNA (recording)
Inheritance Assignment
Lesk: pp. 9–17, 49–58; Crick 1970
5
T Sep. 15
R Sep. 17
DNA Replication
RNA Transcription
DNA Structure Assignment
Lesk: pp. 88–122
6
T Sep. 22
R Sep. 24
Protein Translation
Central Dogma — Omics
📋 Take-Home Exam 1 — due Sep. 22
Lesk: pp. 57–67
7
T Sep. 29
R Oct. 1
Genome Sequencing Intro
Next & 3rd Generation Sequencing (recording)
Sequencing Intro Assignment
Shendure et al. 2017; Sims et al. 2014; Logsdon et al. 2020; Heather & Chain 2015; Goodwin et al. 2016
8
T Oct. 6
R Oct. 8
Steps of Sequencing
Genome Assembly
Sequencing Assignment
Lesk: pp. 68–73; Rice & Green 2017
9
T Oct. 13
R Oct. 15
Genome Assembly pt. 2
No Class — Fall Break
10
T Oct. 20
R Oct. 22
BLAST
Other Uses of NCBI
BLAST/NCBI Assignment (in class)
Lesk: pp. 123–143; Langmead & Nellore 2018; Erlich & Narayanan 2014
11
T Oct. 27
R Oct. 29
Phylogenetics
Phylogenetics Hands-On
📋 Take-Home Exam 2 — due Oct. 27
Building Your Own Phylogeny (in class)
Lesk: pp. 154–171; Kapli et al. 2020
12
T Nov. 3
R Nov. 5
Biology and Computers
Introduction to R
Lesk: pp. 356–372, 378–393; Stark et al. 2019
13
T Nov. 10
R Nov. 12
DNA Kits & Genetic Privacy (pre-recorded)
Using R
14
T Nov. 17
R Nov. 19
Using R
Subsetting Data
R Assignment
15
T Dec. 1
R Dec. 3
Writing a Function
Identifying Types of Chromosomes
📋 Take-Home Exam 3 — due Dec. 1
🏆 Final Project — due Dec. 7
Major Deadlines at a Glance
Take-Home Exam 1
Due Sep. 22
Take-Home Exam 2
Due Oct. 27
Take-Home Exam 3
Due Dec. 1
Final Project
Due Dec. 7