Applications of DNA analysis KZ-JO-06-01-000012

Preliminary conditions: Computer skills and elementary knowledge of computer science and IT, a basic knowledge on the principles of organisms systematics and classification, genetics and evolution, an ability to find and process biological information into knowledge, an ability to use the relevant published biological scientific literature and to know its practical application.

Lecture: Essential bioinformatics. Molecular databases as sources of DNA sequences used in various fields of life sciences. Analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. DNA polimorphism. Molecular markers in phylogenomics, phylogeography, ecology, conservation biology, forensic biology, medicine and biodiversity studies. Application of bioinformatic methods in studies on fossils. Basics of the structural bioinformatics Computer programms enabling the use of bioinformatic data in various fields of life sciences.

Laboratory: Computer programms and bioinformatic databases in phylogenomic and phylogeographic analyses. Haplotype analyses. Procedures of downloading the DNA sequences from GenBank. Sequence alignments and analyses. Substitution model selection. Tree construction using different algorithms. Presentation of results of computer analyses and simulations.

Didactic methods
Multimedial lecture (e-learning on the platform Moodle).
Laboratory: exercises involving computer programs and internet data, computer simulations, discussion, work in focus groups.