Learn to Tap Power of Bioinformatics Databases

Students and faculty are invited to attend two free workshops on bioinformatics searching offered through the NCSU Libraries. The workshops will provide information about National Center for Biotechnology Information databases and tools, which are broadly applicable for bench researchers in the life sciences. Advance registration is required.

Introduction to Bioinformatics and NCBI Molecular Searching will be offered 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, in ITTC Lab 2 at the D. H. Hill Library. Attend to learn more about the power of using bioinformatics and biomolecular databases in life science research to accelerate discoveries and conduct computational analysis that would not be possible at smaller scales.You’ll also examine the vast store of biomolecular records to which the NCBI provides free access and learn how to leverage their information and tools by using Entrez to conduct text searches to find biomolecular information within gene, nucleotide and protein.

Introduction to NCBI BLAST Searching will be offered 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, in ITTC Lab 2 in the D. H. Hill Library. Along with their wealth of data, the NCBI also makes available powerful analytical tools such as the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, BLAST. You’ll learn the basic operation of a BLAST search as a means of discovery and computational analysis in the biomolecular sciences.

These workshops are taught by Alex Carroll, research librarian for engineering and biotechnology and Danica Lewis, NCSU Libraries fellow. They were developed in collaboration with Barrie Hayes, bioinformatics and research data librarian at the UNC-Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library.