CS6222: Advanced Topics in Computational Biology
CS6222: Advanced Topics in Computational Biology
Course Name:
CS6222: Advanced Topics in Computational Biology
Course Description:
This course introduces fundamental concepts and methodologies of bioinformatics and computational biology. Topics covered include sequence, structure and function databases of nucleic acid and protein molecules; advanced sequence and structure alignment methods; molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations; AI and deep learning methods; and protein and RNA folding and structure prediction (homologous modeling, threading, ab initio folding, and deep learning).
Special emphasis is placed on the latest breakthroughs in deep learning structure predictions brought about by Google DeepMind and other leading teams of the field, with a focus on introducing the core technologies behind the breakthroughs, including but not limited to convolutional neural networks, transformers, language models, and diffusion models. The classes emphasize understanding computational biology concepts and their practical application, aiming to equip students with the skills to utilize cutting-edge bioinformatics tools/methods to solve problems in their own research projects.
Instructor:
Prof Yang Zhang
(Email: zhang@nus.edu.sg,
Phone: 6601-1241)
Organization:
Department of Computer Science
School of Computing
National University of Singapore
Schedule and location:
Monday 4-6pm from 2025/1/13 to 2025/4/8, at COM1-VCRM (COM1-02-13)
Syllabus:
Textbook and teaching :
Cancas:
Presentation, homework, & grades:
There will be homework assignments,
including code writing and literature reading and presentation. Final grade consists of literature presentation (20%), homework (30%), and exam (50%).