Computational Evolutionary Biology OpenCourseWare: An MIT Graduate Level Free Online Course

Published Jan 20, 2009

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'Computational Evolutionary Biology', is a free graduate-level OpenCourseWare offered by MIT that explores biological evolution from computational and engineering perspectives. This course will interest computer scientists and science enthusiasts who have some familiarity with molecular biology, probability theory and computer programming. The goal of the course is to provide students with a level of understanding that allows them to easily read and comprehend technical papers with computational evolutionary biology topics.

Computational Evolutionary Biology: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Graduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Computational Evolutionary Biology: Course Description

'Computational Evolutionary Biology,' part of the MIT OpenCourseWare initiative models the relationship between protein sequences and structures over time on an evolutionary scale. The course consists of 26 lectures that examine the forces of evolution at the molecular level from a mathematical perspective. Lecture topics include a variety of evolutionary biology topics, including quantitative genetics, the forces that influence evolution and much more. Professor Robert Berwick teaches the course, which is offered by the MIT department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. This graduate-level course will be best understood by students with some background in computer science, biology and advanced mathematics.

Downloadable lecture notes and a list of suggested readings are available online. Other course materials include software tool sand instructions for their use. To learn more about this course or to download the course materials, visit the evolutionary biology course page.

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