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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Finding Hidden Messages in DNA (Bioinformatics I) by University of California San Diego

4.3
stars
994 ratings

About the Course

Named a top 50 MOOC of all time by Class Central! This course begins a series of classes illustrating the power of computing in modern biology. Please join us on the frontier of bioinformatics to look for hidden messages in DNA without ever needing to put on a lab coat. In the first half of the course, we investigate DNA replication, and ask the question, where in the genome does DNA replication begin? We will see that we can answer this question for many bacteria using only some straightforward algorithms to look for hidden messages in the genome. In the second half of the course, we examine a different biological question, when we ask which DNA patterns play the role of molecular clocks. The cells in your body manage to maintain a circadian rhythm, but how is this achieved on the level of DNA? Once again, we will see that by knowing which hidden messages to look for, we can start to understand the amazingly complex language of DNA. Perhaps surprisingly, we will apply randomized algorithms, which roll dice and flip coins in order to solve problems. Finally, you will get your hands dirty and apply existing software tools to find recurring biological motifs within genes that are responsible for helping Mycobacterium tuberculosis go "dormant" within a host for many years before causing an active infection....

Top reviews

JL

Jul 29, 2018

This course is very very good. Challenging at times. It does not hold your hand at all times and sometimes requires research to solve some of the problems, but I like the community and the approach.

DD

Sep 10, 2019

The material of the course is simply exquisitely presented. The concepts are clear, easy to grasp. You won't be a bioinformatician after doing this course, but you'll make the first step.

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226 - 249 of 249 Reviews for Finding Hidden Messages in DNA (Bioinformatics I)

By Sebastián A S

Jun 8, 2023

It is a good course if you know some programming, the problem comes if you do not know programming, or you are a beginner in programming.

I found the explanations poor and if you are a beginner, I do not recommend it.

By Jan G

Dec 14, 2019

The course is basically abandoned. The figures in the interactive text don't show up and the are very few people available who can grade your assignment. There's no support left in case you're stuck.

By Howard ( R

Mar 26, 2023

Development of the honors track material was extremely shoddy. I was spending way more time hacking their hack job than learning the material.

By Elham G

Feb 3, 2021

This course was so confusing. I would appreciate to see a solved exercise rather than just giving a clue. It would help to learn better fast.

By Guadalupe F E

Apr 28, 2021

Los cuestionarios no pueden resolverse con lo que se enseña en el curso, deberían acoplarse mejor a lo que se explica en el curso.

By Nur A A P

May 25, 2020

Tutorials are not well explained. Not for beginners!

You must have vast knowledge of programming and algorithm beforehand!

By Daniel S

Sep 12, 2023

The course is not for beginners, different from what is in the description, it requires at least a knowledge of Biology.

By Anushka

Jun 19, 2023

They say you dont need any coding knwoledge but that is just not true, please learn python basics at the very least.

By Muyang L

May 3, 2023

This is really painful for people without a computational background...it is not friendly at all for a biologist

By Georgi E

May 16, 2020

Problems have very unclear directions. It takes longer to figure out what the question wants than to solve it.

By Tomas R

Sep 17, 2016

Some of the algorithms are pretty cool but overall the course is not worth it. The material is pretty weak.

By Michael M S

May 7, 2020

Not simple and require pre-knowledge of a programming language (best to be python)

By Aiswarya K A

Dec 17, 2020

I am not able to understand quiz questions.

By Carlos C

Jul 13, 2020

it's not suitable for a non-programmer.

By Keren S

Dec 10, 2021

The professors of this course are very off-base on the amount of time each lesson will take each student. While suggesting the first lesson will take 10 minutes to complete, it in fact takes several hours and the comments on each chapter of the lesson shows that this is experienced by dozens of students who take the course. Additionally, the success rate of the "quizzes" in this course should be an indicator to the professors as to whether they are teaching the course in a beneficial or poor manner. A 28% pass rate on the quiz in the first lesson displays a failure of the professors to properly pass over the material to the students. What's more disappointing is that the professors seem to not check in whatsoever on this course: if they did, they would have immediately noticed that in the comments throughout the chapters many students are lost, and those that aren't are cleaning up the professors' mess and breaking down the material for the students who may look to the comments in the future for help. This course is awful.

By Akira A

Jul 9, 2022

Main concepts are not explained well. Biological mechanisms behind problems lack depth and paid little attention to. Problems to solve are no explained clearly, many lack examples. Datasets for debuging code are no accessible through the links. There are a lot of implied knowledge for coding. Coding examples are given not in actual code, but in pseudocode, whereas the solutions have to be provided in actual working code. There is no explanation of examples of working code or code modules for solution of proposed problems, the only solutions which exist are from the community. Many problems and the expected answers and their formats on the Stepik platform are badly formulated.

By Gábor E

Aug 8, 2016

Very bad course. No videos, just an interactive textbook. The course states all you need is "high school level biology" yet you require coding knowledge for the very first quiz. there are side questions on the first week like does this algorithm runs in O(k * l * x^2) or O(xllogk) without ANY explanation. I guess you can find much much better book about bioinformatics, and as this course is nothing more then a book i recommend a better one.

By Ivan A

Oct 14, 2023

I spent more time finding out on the internet the information, than in the course. It doesn’t goes to the point (Week 1 and 2). And it doesn’t gives enough elements to be able to present the quiz without researching in other places. As a note, I didn’t purchase the “optional” book. Perhaps the incomplete information is intended to entice people to buy it...

By Flavien H

Sep 2, 2020

Just buy their book and go to Rosalind, this course is totally useless and the book is already enough expensive ! Especially that if you are not already good at programming or in maths you will need it for a lot of "details" they will not explain because "not relevant" while it's "just" relevant to understand what you do.

By Haniye A

Aug 20, 2023

there are a lot of programming problems but no explanations on how to solve them! i am a biology major and it is very difficult for me to understand. if this course is aimed at computer scientists, it should have been clearly stated at the beginning.

By Engel L V

Jan 25, 2024

I am not interested in this. Why do you keep forcing me to enroll here? I've been unenrolling in this course numerous times! This is a shitty course and I hate that it keeps enrolling me by force and I have to unenrol every time I open Coursera.

By Muhammad A M

Dec 7, 2023

do not show the method of solving a problem that make idea to students to solve a problem

By Ian M

Jan 14, 2024

This class is completely broken right now.

By kimia r

Sep 9, 2022

quite confusing