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Bioinformatics Core Competencies for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education

View ORCID ProfileMelissa A. Wilson Sayres, View ORCID ProfileCharles Hauser, View ORCID ProfileMichael Sierk, View ORCID ProfileSrebrenka Robic, View ORCID ProfileAnne G. Rosenwald, View ORCID ProfileTodd M. Smith, View ORCID ProfileEric W. Triplett, View ORCID ProfileJason J. Williams, View ORCID ProfileElizabeth Dinsdale, View ORCID ProfileWilliam Morgan, View ORCID ProfileJames M. Burnette III, View ORCID ProfileSamuel S. Donovan, View ORCID ProfileJennifer C. Drew, Sarah C. R. Elgin, View ORCID ProfileEdison R. Fowlks, View ORCID ProfileSebastian Galindo-Gonzalez, View ORCID ProfileAnya L. Goodman, View ORCID ProfileNeal F. Grandgenett, View ORCID ProfileCarlos C. Goller, John Jungck, View ORCID ProfileJeffrey D. Newman, View ORCID ProfileWilliam Pearson, View ORCID ProfileElizabeth Ryder, Rafael Tosado-Acevedo, View ORCID ProfileWilliam Tapprich, View ORCID ProfileTammy C. Tobin, View ORCID ProfileArlín Toro-Martínez, View ORCID ProfileLonnie R. Welch, View ORCID ProfileRobin Wright, View ORCID ProfileDavid Ebenbach, View ORCID ProfileKimberly C. Olney, View ORCID ProfileMindy McWilliams, View ORCID ProfileMark A. Pauley
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/170993
Melissa A. Wilson Sayres
aSchool of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281 (MAS: orcid.org/0000-0002-2614-0285) (KCO: orcid.org/0000-0002-8578-2069)
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Charles Hauser
bDepartment of Biological Sciences, St. Edward’s University, Austin TX 78704 (CH: orcid.org/0000-0003-2125-087X)
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Michael Sierk
cBioinformatics Program, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA 15650 (MS: orcid.org/0000-0002-0657-0288)
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Srebrenka Robic
dDepartment of Biology, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030 (SR: orcid.org/0000-0001-8884-7166)
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Anne G. Rosenwald
eDepartment of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (AGR: orcid.org/0000-0002-0144-8515)
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Todd M. Smith
fDigital World Biology, Seattle, WA 98107 (TMS: orcid.org/0000-0002-6493-940X)
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Eric W. Triplett
gMicrobiology and Cell Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (EWT: orcid.org/0000-0002-1845-4866) (JCD: orcid.org/0000-0002-4037-108X)
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Jason J. Williams
hCold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724 (JJW: orcid.org/0000-0003-3049-2010)
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Elizabeth Dinsdale
iDepartment of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
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William Morgan
jDepartment of Biology, College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691 (WM: orcid.org/0000-0001-7995-8067)
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James M. Burnette III
kUniversity of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92507 (JMB: orcid.org/0000-0002-0296-6015)
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Samuel S. Donovan
lDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (SSD: orcid.org/0000-0003-4021-9878)
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Jennifer C. Drew
gMicrobiology and Cell Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (EWT: orcid.org/0000-0002-1845-4866) (JCD: orcid.org/0000-0002-4037-108X)
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Sarah C. R. Elgin
mDepartment of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
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Edison R. Fowlks
nDepartment of Biological Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668 (ERF: orcid.org/0000-0001-8519-8180)
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  • ORCID record for Edison R. Fowlks
Sebastian Galindo-Gonzalez
oDepartment of Agricultural Education and Communication, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (SG: orcid.org/0000-0002-4061-773X)
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Anya L. Goodman
pDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 (ALG: orcid.org/0000-0003-1385-9992)
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Neal F. Grandgenett
qDepartment of Teacher Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182 (NFG: orcid.org/0000-0001-7574-5291)
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  • ORCID record for Neal F. Grandgenett
Carlos C. Goller
rDepartment of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (CCG: orcid.org/0000-0002-2013-0334)
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John Jungck
sDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
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Jeffrey D. Newman
tDepartment of Biology, Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA 17701 (JDN: orcid.org/0000-0003-0495-4840)
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William Pearson
uDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908 (WP: orcid.org/0000-0002-0727-3680)
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Elizabeth Ryder
vDepartment of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609 (ER: orcid.org/0000-0002-3520-7648)
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Rafael Tosado-Acevedo
wNational Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, PR 00920
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William Tapprich
xDepartment of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182 (WT: orcid.org/0000-0002-7744-7658)
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Tammy C. Tobin
yDepartment of Biology, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA 17870 (TCT: orcid.org/0000-0003-0619-1533)
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Arlín Toro-Martínez
zDepartment of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, San Germán Campus, San Germán, PR 00683 (AT: orcid.org/0000-0002-4387-466X)
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Lonnie R. Welch
aaDepartment of Computer Science, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701 (LRW: orcid.org/0000-0001-6419-9416)
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Robin Wright
bbDepartment of Biology Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108 (RW: orcid.org/0000-0002-3499-0204)
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David Ebenbach
ccCenter for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (DE: orcid.org/0000-0002-2498-7976) (MM: 0000-0002-0728-2587)
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Kimberly C. Olney
aSchool of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281 (MAS: orcid.org/0000-0002-2614-0285) (KCO: orcid.org/0000-0002-8578-2069)
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Mindy McWilliams
ccCenter for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (DE: orcid.org/0000-0002-2498-7976) (MM: 0000-0002-0728-2587)
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Mark A. Pauley
ddSchool of Interdisciplinary Informatics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182 (MAP: orcid.org/0000-0003-1308-0321)
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Abstract

Bioinformatics is becoming increasingly central to research in the life sciences. However, despite its importance, bioinformatics skills and knowledge are not well integrated in undergraduate biology education. This curricular gap prevents biology students from harnessing the full potential of their education, limiting their career opportunities and slowing genomic research innovation. To advance the integration of bioinformatics into life sciences education, a framework of core bioinformatics competencies is needed. To that end, we here report the results of a survey of life sciences faculty in the United States about teaching bioinformatics to undergraduate life scientists. Responses were received from 1,260 faculty representing institutions in all fifty states with a combined capacity to educate hundreds of thousands of students every year. Results indicate strong, widespread agreement that bioinformatics knowledge and skills are critical for undergraduate life scientists, as well as considerable agreement about which skills are necessary. Perceptions of the importance of some skills varied with the respondent’s degree of training, time since degree earned, and/or the Carnegie classification of the respondent’s institution. To assess which skills are currently being taught, we analyzed syllabi of courses with bioinformatics content submitted by survey respondents. Finally, we used the survey results, the analysis of syllabi, and our collective research and teaching expertise to develop a set of bioinformatics core competencies for undergraduate life sciences students. These core competencies are intended to serve as a guide for institutions as they work to integrate bioinformatics into their life sciences curricula.

Significance Statement Bioinformatics, an interdisciplinary field that uses techniques from computer science and mathematics to store, manage, and analyze biological data, is becoming increasingly central to modern biology research. Given the widespread use of bioinformatics and its impacts on societal problem-solving (e.g., in healthcare, agriculture, and natural resources management), there is a growing need for the integration of bioinformatics competencies into undergraduate life sciences education. Here, we present a set of bioinformatics core competencies for undergraduate life scientists developed using the results of a large national survey and the expertise of our working group of bioinformaticians and educators. We also present results from the survey on the importance of bioinformatics skills and the current state of integration of bioinformatics into biology education.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
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Posted August 03, 2017.
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Bioinformatics Core Competencies for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education
Melissa A. Wilson Sayres, Charles Hauser, Michael Sierk, Srebrenka Robic, Anne G. Rosenwald, Todd M. Smith, Eric W. Triplett, Jason J. Williams, Elizabeth Dinsdale, William Morgan, James M. Burnette III, Samuel S. Donovan, Jennifer C. Drew, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Edison R. Fowlks, Sebastian Galindo-Gonzalez, Anya L. Goodman, Neal F. Grandgenett, Carlos C. Goller, John Jungck, Jeffrey D. Newman, William Pearson, Elizabeth Ryder, Rafael Tosado-Acevedo, William Tapprich, Tammy C. Tobin, Arlín Toro-Martínez, Lonnie R. Welch, Robin Wright, David Ebenbach, Kimberly C. Olney, Mindy McWilliams, Mark A. Pauley
bioRxiv 170993; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/170993
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Bioinformatics Core Competencies for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education
Melissa A. Wilson Sayres, Charles Hauser, Michael Sierk, Srebrenka Robic, Anne G. Rosenwald, Todd M. Smith, Eric W. Triplett, Jason J. Williams, Elizabeth Dinsdale, William Morgan, James M. Burnette III, Samuel S. Donovan, Jennifer C. Drew, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Edison R. Fowlks, Sebastian Galindo-Gonzalez, Anya L. Goodman, Neal F. Grandgenett, Carlos C. Goller, John Jungck, Jeffrey D. Newman, William Pearson, Elizabeth Ryder, Rafael Tosado-Acevedo, William Tapprich, Tammy C. Tobin, Arlín Toro-Martínez, Lonnie R. Welch, Robin Wright, David Ebenbach, Kimberly C. Olney, Mindy McWilliams, Mark A. Pauley
bioRxiv 170993; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/170993

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