DNA Courses
Take free online courses in DNA from MIT, Harvard, USM and other top universities. Learn about functional genomics, DNA sequences, replication and enroll in online courses in molecular biology.
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What is DNA?
DNA is the molecule that carries the genetic code of an organism. It contains the hereditary traits that are passed from parent to child. Identical DNA is present in all the cells of an organism.
Online DNA and Genetics Courses
Learn genetics with free online courses from major universities like Rice, MIT, the University of Maryland and Harvard. Get started with the introductory course, DNA: Biology’s Genetic Code, from Rice University. In this 6-week, self-paced online course, students learn about DNA structure, DNA sequencing, packaging, replication and manipulation. Also consider the self-paced course from MIT, Introduction to Biology – The Secret of Life. This 12-week course will explore genetics, molecular biology, recombinant DNA and genomics. Learn how to use molecular tools to study biology and how to apply principles of modern biology to current issues in society.
The University of British Columbia has a two-part program that explores genes and inheritance. Learn the key genetics issues that affect our health and well-being, how to evaluate predictions about health risk and what analysis of your DNA does and does not reveal about you. Biology and data science come together in a discipline known as bioinformatics. So much can be learned from analyzing biological and experimental data. In Introduction to Genomic Data Science from UC San Diego, learn about the power of computing in modern biology. Develop algorithms and write Python programs to analyze DNA patterns and biological data sets. Use technology to find hidden messages in DNA and apply randomized algorithms to solve problems.
Jobs in Genetics
A degree in genetics can lead to many different jobs in biotechnology and medicine including Genetics Counselor, Clinical Research Associate, Lab Technician, Medical Research Scientist, Epidemiologist and Immunologist. It’s important to note that almost all positions require knowledge of advanced data analysis. Working in genetics, one can expect to conduct clinical research trials, collect large quantities of data and perform in-depth analysis on a regular basis. A recent search on Indeed.com for Geneticist turned up numerous positions for data scientists, bioinformatics analysts, population geneticists and statisticians. Alongside your medical courses, it will be very helpful to take courses in computer science, data management and analytics so that you can be fully prepared for the research tasks of this exciting field.