BIO2010 · Data science for biologists

Overview

Professional biologists with the skills to design experiments and analyse data are essential for identifying and responding to society’s urgent environmental, biomedical, and social challenges. This unit provides the approaches and tools that enable curious and creative minds to collect, analyse, and understand complex biological data. Drawing on a variety of examples from biology, genetics, and the biomedical sciences, we focus first on constructing impactful and testable research questions and designing rigorous experiments to match. We then introduce modern data science methods, using the R statistical environment, that make exploring, visualising, and analysing complex biological data as fast and as fluent as possible. Throughout the unit we work in small groups to promote hands-on problem solving and peer-assisted debate. The combination of training in critical thinking, data science using R, communication, and team work, will provide you with a demonstrable skill set that is highly-valued in a variety of traditional and emerging scientific careers, or for further undergraduate and honours study.

Areas of study: Ecology and conservation biology Genetics and genomics Plant sciences Zoology

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Construct, test, and evaluate scientific hypotheses in biology.
2. Design and optimise sampling programs and experiments for answering biological questions.
3. Select and justify the most appropriate analysis for a biological dataset and research question.
4. Summarise, visualise and analyse datasets using the programming tools of R.
5. Critically evaluate biological data and make inferences from analyses.

Workload

• One 1.5-hour interactive workshop; • One 2.5-hour laboratory; • 3 hours of pre-class and post-class activities and • 5 hours of independent study or group work per week

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.