Computing for Biologists: Python Programming and Principles

Ran Libeskind-Hadas · Eliot Bush

Sep 2014 · Cambridge University Press

Ebook

289

Pages

Ratings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More

About this ebook

Computing is revolutionizing the practice of biology. This book, which assumes no prior computing experience, provides students with the tools to write their own Python programs and to understand fundamental concepts in computational biology and bioinformatics. Each major part of the book begins with a compelling biological question, followed by the algorithmic ideas and programming tools necessary to explore it: the origins of pathogenicity are examined using gene finding, the evolutionary history of sex determination systems is studied using sequence alignment, and the origin of modern humans is addressed using phylogenetic methods. In addition to providing general programming skills, this book explores the design of efficient algorithms, simulation, NP-hardness, and the maximum likelihood method, among other key concepts and methods. Easy-to-read and designed to equip students with the skills to write programs for solving a range of biological problems, the book is accompanied by numerous programming exercises, available at www.cs.hmc.edu/CFB.

About the author

Ran Libeskind-Hadas is the R. Michael Shanahan Professor of Computer Science at Harvey Mudd College, USA, working in the areas of algorithms and computational biology. He is a recipient of both the Iris and Howard Critchell Professorship and the Joseph B. Platt Professorship for teaching, as well as the Distinguished Alumni Educator Award from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Department of Computer Science.

Eliot Bush is Associate Professor of Biology at Harvey Mudd College, USA. His main research interest is the study of evolution. Among other things he has modeled the evolution of metabolism, characterized DNA methylation patterns in insects, developed algorithms for studying substitution bias in DNA, and analyzed a 30-million-year-old primate fossil. His teaching interests focus on incorporating computers and programming assignments into biology coursework.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets

Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.

Laptops and computers

You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.

eReaders and other devices

To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.

Report illegal content