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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Bacterial Bioinformatics by University of Virginia

4.7
stars
267 ratings

About the Course

This course provides demonstrations and exercises for performing common genomics-based analysis tasks of bacterial sequence data. It uses BV-BRC, the Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center (merger of PATRIC, IRD and ViPR, the three former resources), as the platform for analysis. BV-BRC is the NIH/NIAID-funded bacterial Bioinformatics Resource Center, providing comprehensive bacterial genomic data with integrated analysis tools and visualizations. BV-BRC also provides a private workspace where users can upload and analyze their own data. Course participants will gain skills needed to do comparative analysis of bacterial genomes, starting with raw sequence data.The lessons in the first module cover genome assembly, annotation, phylogenetic tree construction, and protein family / proteome comparisons. Each lesson builds on the previous, creating a complete baseline analysis workflow. NOTE: The exercises in this course were developed using the PATRIC, the predecessor system to BV-BRC. However, BV-BRC was built from PATRIC, so most of the content is still the same....

Top reviews

TM

May 15, 2025

As a PhD student, I greatly appreciated this course. Professor Rebecca's thorough explanations on a wide range of topics were incredibly valuable—thank you for your dedication!

AA

Apr 5, 2025

I have learnt so much from this course, although I am yet to complete it. Thumps up to Rebecca Wattam and PATRIC.org

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1 - 25 of 62 Reviews for Bacterial Bioinformatics

By ping.hu@gmail.com

Dec 24, 2020

very useful course , can solve a lot of problem in bacterium genome analysis easily

By Abdul K

Jan 28, 2021

Stunning for bioinformatics

By Megan M

Jan 11, 2022

having completed the first 2 weeks, I think the course title is misleading. The lessons aren't so much about concepts in bacterial bioinformatics as they are tutorials for PATRIC. Still useful, but not what I was looking for

By 2040_ANSHU S

Feb 26, 2021

Why certificate is not showing

By Sivaraman G

Apr 23, 2021

First of all, I wish to thank you for making me to attend the Bacterial Bioinformatics course through Coursera. Learnt a lot in related to Bacterial Bioinformatics mainly on the Genome sequences, presently handling two Indo-UK projects on AMR surveillance in one-health perspectives based on WGS.

Once again extending my sincere heartfelt thank you for the Bacterial Bioinformatics.

By Wael H

Dec 21, 2021

I appreciate the instructors for this amazing course that sharpen my skills in the bacterial genome analysis.

By MONALISA M

Sep 6, 2021

Extremely good course, great content and didactic teacher.

By ogbolu E

Jan 15, 2022

Very useful and important. Wonderful Tutor.

By Leen A

Mar 18, 2021

Very useful but I can’t find my certificate

By Deniz Y

Jan 22, 2022

No Certificate available.

By Rodrigo O S

Apr 13, 2024

Are you starting to learn bioinformatics? or if you want to improve a bit your abilities using a friendly plataform?Thats a good chance!

By Aseel A

Aug 14, 2021

Thank you enjoyably, beneficial course.

By Amro H

Feb 21, 2022

One of the best MOOC courses

By Aline P C

Jun 27, 2021

Excellent course!

By Nicholas H

Apr 28, 2021

Very good

By Dewan S K

Nov 9, 2022

good

By FAJAR A

Aug 14, 2025

The "Bacterial Bioinformatics" course, often offered by the University of Virginia on platforms like Coursera and RiseUpp, is an excellent entry point for anyone interested in the computational analysis of bacterial genomes. This course is particularly well-suited for undergraduate and graduate students in biology and microbiology, as well as professionals seeking to acquire practical skills in bioinformatics. It successfully bridges the gap between theoretical biological knowledge and the computational tools needed to analyze modern genomic data. The primary strength of the course is its hands-on, practical approach. Instead of just discussing concepts, the curriculum is structured around real-world workflows using a dedicated web-based platform (BV-BRC, formerly PATRIC). This means you're not just watching lectures; you're actively assembling, annotating, and comparing bacterial genomes. This practical experience is invaluable for building confidence and a foundational skill set. The course is divided into several modules, each building on the last to guide you through a complete genomic analysis pipeline: Introduction to Bioinformatics: You'll start with the fundamentals, understanding the role of bioinformatics in modern microbiology and getting acquainted with key databases and resources. Genome Assembly and Annotation: This is a core component. You'll learn how to take raw sequencing reads and assemble them into a complete genome. Following this, you'll annotate the genome to identify genes, proteins, and other functional elements. Phylogenetic Tree Construction: You'll discover how to create phylogenetic trees from a set of genomes to understand evolutionary relationships between different bacterial strains. Comparative Genomics: This module teaches you how to compare multiple genomes to identify similarities and differences, which is crucial for understanding traits like antibiotic resistance or virulence. Protein Family Analysis: The course delves into comparing protein families across different genomes to understand functional pathways and evolutionary changes. One of the most notable aspects is the clear and engaging instruction, which makes complex topics accessible. The course is designed to be followed even by those with minimal prior coding or bioinformatics experience, with the heavy lifting handled by user-friendly web services. However, it provides a solid conceptual foundation that would prepare a student to tackle more complex command-line-based bioinformatics in the future. Overall, if you're a biologist, microbiologist, or student wanting to learn how to analyze bacterial genomic data and gain practical experience with essential bioinformatics tools, this course is a highly recommended and well-regarded option.

By Muhammad Q A R

Mar 30, 2025

As a student, you might rate the **Bacterial Informatics course on Coursera** highly for several reasons: 1. **Content Quality:** The course provides a comprehensive overview of genomic tools, particularly in the context of the PATRIC platform. It covers essential aspects of bacterial informatics, including genome assembly, annotation, and comparative genomics, which are critical for anyone working in microbial research. 2. **Practical Application:** The hands-on exercises, such as using the Genome Assembly and Protein Family Sorter, allow students to apply the lessons in real-world research scenarios. This practical focus makes the course not only informative but also relevant to ongoing scientific studies. 3. **User-Friendly Interface:** The course simplifies complex genomic analyses through PATRIC, which offers intuitive tools for researchers at all levels. The step-by-step guidance helps students understand how to use these tools effectively, making advanced topics accessible. 4. **Relevance to Research:** For students involved in microbiology or bioinformatics research, the course tools and lessons are highly applicable. PATRIC's integration with bacterial research is particularly useful for those focusing on bacterial genomics, comparative genomics, and phylogenetics. Potential areas for improvement could include more advanced topics for experienced users or deeper dives into specific algorithms used in PATRIC. **Rating**: 4.5/5, based on the balance of practical and theoretical insights and ease of use for a range of learners.

By Osman M

Mar 7, 2023

I am glad that I have met with BV-BRC. I will use their services in my future bacterial or viral studies. I was amazed by the convenience of the data analysis pipelines. This course explains everything that any scientist needs for bacterial genome analysis. I recommended this course to my medical microbiologist friends. The instructor, Rebecca Wattam, explains everything in detail and speaks very clearly.

By Tilaye S M

May 15, 2025

As a PhD student, I greatly appreciated this course. Professor Rebecca's thorough explanations on a wide range of topics were incredibly valuable—thank you for your dedication!

By Artur H B

Aug 2, 2022

Excepcional. Patric é uma ferramenta de bioinformática com excelentes recursos técnicos para análise genética de bactérias e agora para vírus também.

By Amanquador A

Apr 5, 2025

I have learnt so much from this course, although I am yet to complete it. Thumps up to Rebecca Wattam and PATRIC.org

By Neeraja G

Feb 15, 2022

it was very informative course and i enjoyed doing home works and assessments.

thank you

Regards

Neeraja

By Jyotsna G

Jun 21, 2025

this course is very helpful for my project and give extra information about each genome .

By Tania S Y

May 6, 2025

Very useful to learn the basics in bioinformatics. Thank you very much