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Back to Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4.6
stars
301 ratings

About the Course

What is a genome? A genome contains all of the information that a cell needs to develop, function, and reproduce itself, and all the information needed for those cells to come together to form a person, plant, or animal. Genomes contain an organism’s complete set of genes, and also the even tinier genetic structures that help regulate when and how those genes are used. The ability to regrow a torn ligament, the clues that might predict the onset of mental illness, the nutritional potential of crops, and even the history of life itself, are all encoded in genomes. By taking this course, you will discover how scientists are deciphering the language of genomes to learn how to develop sustainable food and fuel supplies, improve disease treatment and prevention, and protect our environment. Professor Robinson is the main instructor for this course. In addition, each module features several guest instructors. These guest instructors come from diverse fields of study—biology, physics, computer science, and many others—and pursue diverse research goals, yet they share a common interest in genomic approaches and technologies. The guest instructors include: - Elizabeth (Lisa) Ainsworth, Associate Professor of Plant Biology - Mark Band, Director of the Functional Genomics Facility - Alison Bell, Associate Professor of Animal Biology - Jenny Drnevich, Functional Genomics Bioinformatics Specialist with High-Performance Biological Computing - Christopher Fields, Associate Director of High-Performance Biological Computing - Bruce Fouke, Director of the Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center - Glenn Fried, Director of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology Core Facilities - Nigel Goldenfeld, Professor of Physics - Brendan Harley, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - Alvaro Hernandez, Director of the High-Throughput Sequencing and Genotyping Facility - Victor Jongeneel, former NCSA Director of Bioinformatics and former Director of High-Performance Biological Computing - Kingsley Boateng, Senior Research Specialist with the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology Core Facilities - Stephen Long, Professor of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences - Ruby Mendenhall, Associate Professor of African American Studies - William Metcalf, Professor of Microbiology - Karen Sears, Assistant Professor of Animal Biology - Saurabh Sinha, Associate Professor of Computer Science - Lisa Stubbs, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology - Rachel Whitaker, Associate Professor of Microbiology - Derek Wildman, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology - Peter Yau, Director of the Protein Sciences Facility...

Top reviews

AA

Aug 7, 2020

Nice course with the basics of genomics. The activities are according to the lessons. There are a lot of active people, so you do not have to worry about waiting for peer activities.

MM

Dec 20, 2023

one of the best courses that I have learned on Coursera. I learned a lot during this course and it also changed my perspective about the genomics :) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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1 - 25 of 80 Reviews for Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life

By Muhammad A

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Jan 3, 2019

Quite informative and useful course... I just love it...

By Gabriel

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Jun 13, 2021

This is an amazing course, very well organized, with great assignments. One of the best I have done so far. However, flaws are present, Honors assignments are rarely graded, as it seems just a few peers do them, and there is no staff to grade. Today (June 13, 2021), one of my assignments is yet ungraded, it was submitted two months ago (April 19, 2021). Also, I have graded assignments that are months old, and this suggests that they are waiting for a grade for a long time. However, I suggest doing them even though they might not be graded, it is worth it if you think about the knowledge acquired.

By Mili P

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Aug 2, 2020

Hello, myself Mili Patel

I really enjoyed this course. All in this course satisfying and just want to say it's beyond my expectation.

Thank you.... 🙂

By Richard K

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Jun 25, 2017

While the content was of interest, the restriction from graded quizzes for those of us auditing the course very much limits the value of the course.

By Rebecca S

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Feb 26, 2018

This is the best course I have ever taken. The teachers talk like they are speaking to you and not as if they are reading off a powerpoint (even though im sure some of them are). It makes the material soak in better instead of just saying intense information sentences after the other. The video editing is done in a way that keeps me engaged. The material is extremely interesting. The discussions challenge me. Everything about this course is awesome.

By Ananya K

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Mar 31, 2017

A very fun and interesting course. It was challenging. I learnt a lot from this course. It is the best course a person could ask for. It was really interesting. I will remember genomics: decoding the language of life forever..

By Geraldo M J

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Mar 16, 2020

Excepcional! Aprendi muito. Sinto-me apto e motivado a prosseguir nesta matéria.

By Ruchit S

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Oct 16, 2020

OVERALL RATING: 2 stars/5

PROS: Amazing Content! Great, funny, instructors, really thought provoking, lucid content. One of the best courses I have come so far.

I will give 5/5 for the content.

CONS: Horrible management! No one to help or respond to queries, as if all mentors are in deep slumber. Numerous technical issues with the website, pasting text was not happening, submission errors. Really gross mismanagement. Resetting deadlines when not required, option to reset deadlines don't show up when there is an actual need to do so. No one to review / grade your assignments. Really a bummer! Pathetic! The blame falls squarely on the technical team, and course management.

I will give 0/5 for apathy

By SACHIDANANDA B

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Mar 28, 2020

So far l just love the course and the instructors...

But due to unavoidable situations during bi-phasic flood in September-October,2019; I could not be able to complete this nice course. I hardly can manage paying the fees/upgradation charges to complete it, as my family conditions make me earn very limited. I will be grateful to team Coursera, if they allow me learn further by unlocking this ongoing course.

Regards,

Sachidananda Behera

INDIA (Ph.D. Aspirant)

By Rupashri B

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May 24, 2020

An interesting and productive way to start unraveling the science of genomics and genetic engineering! This course will prompt you to apply critical thinking to tackle the assignments and submissions, the videos will motivate you and open your mind to ideas, and it will definitely enhance your ability to practically approach the science and benefit from it! A really good course!

By Sudarshana C

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Feb 28, 2021

This course is very informative! It starts with the basics, and gradually builds on the concepts. Amazing examples from real-time researches are quoted, just to show the vast applications of this field... which makes learning all the more exciting! The assignments and quizzes are well designed. A wonderful investment of time and effort!

By Sukeshini K

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Apr 7, 2020

very nice course, but please do not keep certificates dependent on grading procedure. take more test if you want a time-limited or online is also fine but not dependent on grading. it takes a long time and some of the students like me might need this as part of their exam or coursework so certificates are necessary on time.

By Vanessa L

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Aug 13, 2017

I really enjoyed this course, I have learned some new really interesting things in this 6 weeks. I really liked the videos and the variety of professionals and to hear the opinion and points of view of all the different areas of research present and how they use genomics. It was really interesting and informative.

By Asiria S

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Sep 28, 2020

This course helped me to understand the basics of genomics and its usefulness in solving problems in some areas such as medicine and agriculture. It also helped me to reflect on the advantage of using this tool for future research because genomics is the instruction manual for all life on earth.

By Mayowa J A

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Aug 7, 2022

This was worth the while. I had fun reading articles, learning the basics of genomics, its application, future prospects and more clarity on my area of research interest. It is worth exploring, you just don''t know the type of gem you might find in your genome.

By Subham H

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Jun 24, 2020

This course is amazing!!. After completing this course I came to know many new things about genomics, enjoyed the course contents a lot. Any person who has very little knowledge about genetics and is interested to know a lot about it can enroll in this course.

By Tobi O

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Mar 2, 2019

This course is the first course I took on the coursers platform, and it was an awesomely rewarding experience, the course content ,videos, assignments, peers all made up to an amazing experience , even though there is still room for more improvements.

By Shreya S

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Jul 7, 2020

This course is really amazing and it thought me a lot about the genome and how is it important for each species. I highly recommend this course for someone who is looking for a course to understand the fundamentals of the genome.

By Chandrasekar R

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Jun 18, 2020

A very well designed course meant for both biologists and students from other disciplines. The assignments are also very interesting and gives the participants an opportunity to discuss and explore the topics taught every week.

By Amritendu G

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Aug 10, 2020

It was really a great time doing this course. It not only helped me to come across several concepts of modern genomics but also enhance my spectrum of knowledge on Genomics Evolution from past generation to present era.

By alejandro

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Aug 8, 2020

Nice course with the basics of genomics. The activities are according to the lessons. There are a lot of active people, so you do not have to worry about waiting for peer activities.

By moferrah m

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Dec 21, 2023

one of the best courses that I have learned on Coursera. I learned a lot during this course and it also changed my perspective about the genomics :) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

By Sanjana I

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Dec 18, 2020

This course helped me better understand genomics. The instructors used simple language and were easy to understand. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested.

By Jyoti K

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Sep 14, 2020

i really enjoyed the course, and i want to thank all for designing this curriculum and presenting it in easy understandable design

By Saptak S

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Jan 17, 2022

This is a very delightful course. i learned and enjoyed a lot while doing it. looking forward to more courses from illinoi.