Our courses cover the Unix OS and the use of Perl, BioPerl, Java and BioJava programming as well as web- based resources for biological sequence analysis. Special emphasis is given on practical projects on novel drug discovery methods used in the pharma industry. The course therefore covers not only the basics of Bioinformatics as a science but also its use as a tool for what is going to assume an increasingly important role in the near future - genome-based medicine.

Our courses are delivered entirely through the web and therefore can be done in a self-paced manner at your convenience. Our courses will soon become available through IntraLearn Software Corporation's e-learning platform through the Bunker Hill Community College to enable clients to take courses in an interactive manner. We believe this is the best way to learn Bioinformatics since this necessitates spending time on the computer to work on the examples and projects. Lessons include theory, practice questions and programming projects and will be available for direct download from our site.

The courses incorporate a study-by-research component as students enter Modules 3 and 4. Data from landmark papers on the sequencing of the human, C. elegans, rice, zebrafish, A. thaliana and other important genomes are provided to students to read, analyze and critique as part of hands-on projects. This approach ensures that students understand and learn to analyze and interpret the biology behind the informatics. A functional approach is used while teaching all programming languages. In this approach, the various syntactical and operative elements of the individual languages and platforms are taught not in isolation but in the context of discrete definable Bioinformatics problems that enable the user to relate how the different parts of the language fit together in the big picture.

Our courses are continually revised and enhanced to keep abreast with the latest trends and advances in Bioinformatics and Genomics. All examples are derived from practical problems faced in sequence retrieval, manipulation, storage and analysis during routine Bioinformatics-related research in large genome sequencing and analysis centers in the industry and academia. The courses do not assume prior specialized knowledge in either biology or computing and all teaching material is formulated from the ground-up so that professionals from diverse backgrounds can follow the content without impediment. This is fundamental for the study of Bioinformatics - a truly multi-disciplinary area of research that derives heavily from advances in a large number of disparate science, technology and engineering disciplines.