BIO systems project

Open Project

   

What interests you about Bioinformatics? How can you contribute to the field? Would you like to write a tutorial for using a service, database or program you find important? How about implementing a useful task as a Perl or PHP script, or defining an interesting protein domain in depth through a Jalview alignment? Are there interesting databases or services we did not cover? Or maybe you would be curious about a particular workflow - is it possible? How can it be done? Can you implement it in "R"? Or how about editing and improving one or more Wikipedia article(s)?

In this Open Project, I invite you to think like a bioinformatician, acquire some knowledge or viewpoint about the field and share it with your peers.

1. The topic is open but we will provide feedback on the suitability of the topic, if asked. I advise against running off with the first thing that comes to your mind - discuss your ideas among yourselves, or with your TA. However, try not to ask me what to do because you can't come up with anything. If I get the impression that there was nothing that interested you in the whole, wild, wide world of systems biology, that will make me depressed.
2. The first stage of the project is your concept or vision. In a brief paragraph, describe your premise, method, expected outcome and utility.
3. The second stage of the project is your outline or project plan. Describe the steps of your project in detail, list the required resources and tools, clearly define your deliverables.
4. The third stage is the project itself. Its main deliverable would typically be something in electronic form; I strongly encourage attaching a Creative Commons license to your work. Then we could make it available for others.
5. Marking will consider:
   1. Quality, usefulness, creativity and originality of the contribution;
   2. Execution and form;
   3. Timely submission.
6. Time management is up to you. However there are three stages of the project and three deadlines.
7. As the concepts are being submitted, I will assign you to one of our two TA's who will be your mentor and primary point of contact for the project.

The concept / vision is due by the end of week 3.
The outline / project plan is due by the end of week 5.
The final submission is due by the end of week 10.

Please get your deliverables done early, I will be quite resistant to grant extensions for reasons that have to do with your normal, expected workload. If you want to, you can submit all phases of your project at any earlier date you choose - and get it done with. Since you will be done by mid-November at the latest, we help you avoid the mad, soul-destroying, end-of-term rush for this deliverable which is worth more than a quarter of your total grade.