An Open-Source Toolkit To Expand Bioinformatics Training in Infectious Diseases

mBio. 2021 Aug 31;12(4):e0121421. doi: 10.1128/mBio.01214-21. Epub 2021 Jul 6.

Abstract

As access to high-throughput sequencing technology has increased, the bottleneck in biomedical research has shifted from data generation to data analysis. Here, we describe a modular and extensible framework for didactic instruction in bioinformatics using publicly available RNA sequencing data sets from infectious disease studies, with a focus on host-parasite interactions. We highlight lessons learned from adapting this course for virtual learners during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Keywords: bioinformatics; education; genomics; infectious disease; transcription.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • COVID-19 / pathology
  • Computational Biology / education*
  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Data Analysis
  • Genomics
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Host-Parasite Interactions / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics
  • Plasmodium falciparum / physiology
  • Schistosoma mansoni / drug effects
  • Schistosoma mansoni / genetics
  • Schistosoma mansoni / physiology
  • Toxoplasma / drug effects
  • Toxoplasma / genetics
  • Toxoplasma / physiology