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Enhancing interdisciplinary mathematics and biology education: a microarray data analysis course bridging these
1Schools of Mathematical Sciences and Biological and Medical Sciences, College of Sciences Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603, USA. yvtsma@rit.edu
CBE Life Sciences Education
|September 3, 2010
Summary
This course successfully equipped biology students with essential skills for analyzing complex microarray data through interdisciplinary collaboration. Students learned critical data preprocessing and analysis techniques, enhancing their mathematical biology background.
Area of Science:
- Bioinformatics
- Computational Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- The BIO2010 initiative emphasized improving mathematical skills for biology students.
- High-dimensional microarray data analysis presents significant challenges, requiring collaborative expertise from biologists and statisticians.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and implement an interdisciplinary course focused on microarray data analysis.
- To enhance biology students' quantitative skills in interpreting complex biological datasets.
Main Methods:
- A collaborative teaching model was established involving biologists and statisticians.
- Utilized Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT) materials, Microarray Genome and Clustering Tool (MGCT), R statistical software, and Bioconductor packages.
- Conducted a full microarray data analysis from preprocessing to pathway analysis in class, followed by student projects.
Main Results:
- Students gained practical experience in preprocessing, filtering, normalization, and gene discovery.
- The course demonstrated the significant impact of different analytical methods on final gene selection.
- Student projects involved analyzing novel or published microarray datasets.
Conclusions:
- The developed course effectively equipped students with the necessary skills for microarray data analysis.
- Insights into collaborative teaching strategies and interdisciplinary course design for bioinformatics are provided.
