Bioinformatics Programming in Python: A Practical Course for Beginners

In the post–genomic era, every biologist is faced with the task of complex data analysis and interpretation. Often a simple yet tailor–made computer algorithm can work wonders and make a complex task easy. As a consequence, more and more biologists have begun to write small programs, using such script–based languages as Perl and Python.
This first introductory book designed to train biology students without previous experience in programming is based on a student course given by the author, and teaches essential skills for life scientists who want –– or need –– to write their own bioinformatics software tools.
By interspersing theory chapters with numerous small and large programming exercises, the author quickly shows readers how to do their own programming, and makes use throughout of anecdotes and real–life examples from the biosciences to optimize the text for biologists.

Spis treści:
Classification of Programming Languages
Getting the Materials: Python program and documentation
Variables, Data Types, Assignments
Flow Control
Worked Example #1
Functions and Procedures
Worked Example #2
The Object–oriented World
Worked Example #3
Top–down Versus Bottom–up Strategies
Worked Example #4
Sorting and Searching
Welcome to the Library
Programming Exercise: Trimethizing a File
Dealing with Errors
Programming Exercise: Generating a Restriction Map
Advanced Techniques in Python
Programming Exercise: Python goes PCR


Nota biograficzna:
Rüdiger–Marcus Flaig studied Biology at the University of Heidelberg (Germany) where he obtained a Sc.D. degree, followed by a Ph.D. degree from the German Cancer Research Center. After postdoctoral work at the Universities of Gieβen and Heidelberg he trained as a patent attorney and is now handling biotech patent applications for the European Patent Office in Mu nich. From 2003 to 2005 he developed and repeatedly taught a course on bioinformatics programming for biology students.

Okładka tylna:
In the post–genomic era, every biologist is faced with the task of complex data analysis and interpretation. Often a simple yet tailor–made computer algorithm can work wonders and make a complex task easy. As a consequence, more and more biologists have begun to write small programs, using such script–based languages as Perl and Python.
This first introductory book designed to train biology students without previous experience in programming is based on a student course given by the author, and teaches essential skills for life scientists who want –– or need –– to write their own bioinformatics software tools.
By interspersing theory chapters with numerous small and large programming exercises, the author quickly shows readers how to do their own programming, and makes use throughout of anecdotes and real–life examples from the biosciences to optimize the text for biologists.