Spring 2027

Bioinformatics for Microbiologists

Introduction to sequence-based bioinformatics for microbial systems, covering BLAST, RNA-seq, genome assembly, annotation, and comparative genomics.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Garret Suen

Summary

1 / 3

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.92 GPA, 96.0% A/AB (n=50 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.96 GPA, 98.0% A/AB (n=49 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.80 GPA, 97.6% A/AB (n=42 letter grades).

What you’ll be able to do

  • Demonstrate use of the Unix/Linux-based operating system using command line.

  • Download and install sequence analysis programs locally on a computer.

  • Evaluate the outcomes of sequence data analysis and determine if an analysis is statistically relevant and robust.

  • Code complex and advanced programs in python that not only facilitate pipeline construction, but also more in-depth parsing of tool output.

  • Utilize bioinformatics tools to enable comparative genomics analysis that extend the standard use of those tools.

  • Evaluate primary literature and determine what available tools are most appropriate for solving a specific analysis problem.

  • Utilize advanced parameters in BLAST to facilitate complex comparisons across sequence data types.

  • Demonstrate the ability to compile a program from source code so as to leverage local environmental variables for installation.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

Graduate/professional standing

  • Graduate/professional standing
MICROBIO 657

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • Graduate/professional standing

Professors

Spring 2027

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.92 GPA, 96.0% A/AB (n=50 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.96 GPA, 98.0% A/AB (n=49 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.80 GPA, 97.6% A/AB (n=42 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

GARRET SUEN is recorded teaching in Spring 2019, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 350

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
Download part 1

Student experience

the class

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.92 GPA, 96.0% A/AB (n=50 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.96 GPA, 98.0% A/AB (n=49 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.80 GPA, 97.6% A/AB (n=42 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

No workload feedback recorded.

Topics

  • BLAST, RNA-seq analysis, transcriptional binding prediction
  • Genome sequence assembly, analysis, and annotation
  • Comparative genomics
  • Classical and newer bioinformatic algorithms

Skills

  • Use Unix/Linux command line
  • Install sequence analysis programs
  • Evaluate statistical relevance of sequence analysis
  • Code Python programs for pipelines and parsing
  • Apply bioinformatics tools for comparative genomics
  • Select tools based on primary literature evaluation
  • Use advanced BLAST parameters
  • Compile programs from source code

Grades

Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

Grades over time

Through Spring 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1280 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
MICROBIO 657 · Spring 2027

Bioinformatics for Microbiologists

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:192:025000",
    "course_id": "MICROBIO 657",
    "course_uid": "course_a595ff5e652a1f7696b443d0",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "025000",
    "source_subject_id": "192",
    "title": "Bioinformatics for Microbiologists",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Every Other Spring"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews

No records available.

Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "8cde0d7240cc476fb1791e251a28c89bd23e1f575f31eb5b295b41b0dc055a1f",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}