Biochemistry: Bioinformatics (Ph.D.)
Offered by: Biochemistry (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Program Description
The Ph.D. in Biochemistry; Bioinformatics involves the development of strategies for experimental design, the construction of computer science tools to analyze large datasets, the application of modelling techniques, the integration of biological databases, and the use of algorithms and statistics. Permission of the Graduate Program Director to enroll in this concentration is required to ensure that the proposed research thesis focusses on bioinformatics related to biochemistry.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (6 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOC 696D1 | Seminars in Biochemistry. 1 | 1.5 |
Seminars in Biochemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminars in biochemistry. | ||
| BIOC 696D2 | Seminars in Biochemistry. 1 | 1.5 |
Seminars in Biochemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See BIOC 696D1 for course description. | ||
| BIOC 696N1 | Seminars in Biochemistry. 1 | 1.5 |
Seminars in Biochemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminars in biochemistry. | ||
| BIOC 696N2 | Seminars in Biochemistry. 1 | 1.5 |
Seminars in Biochemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. For description see BIOC 696N1. | ||
| BIOC 701 | Research Seminar 1. 2 | 0 |
Research Seminar 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Presentation on original current laboratory research carried out by student. | ||
| BIOC 702 | Ph.D. Thesis Proposal. 2 | 0 |
Ph.D. Thesis Proposal. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Dissertation presented to Committee. | ||
| BIOC 703 | Ph.D. Seminar. 2 | 0 |
Ph.D. Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Presentation of the planned thesis including central findings and original contribution to knowledge in the field of research. | ||
| QLSC 601D1 | Quantitative Life Sciences Seminars 1. | 0 |
Quantitative Life Sciences Seminars 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. QLS Monthly Seminar Series and Journal Club. | ||
| QLSC 601D2 | Quantitative Life Sciences Seminars 1. | 0 |
Quantitative Life Sciences Seminars 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See QLSC 601D1 for description. | ||
- 1
Students choose either BIOC 696D1/D2 or BIOC 696N1/N2. Students fast-tracking from the M.Sc. to the Ph.D. program, and who registered for and passed BIOC 696 at the M.Sc. level, do not register for BIOC 696 at the Ph.D. level. Likewise, students fast-tracking from the M.Sc. to the Ph.D. program, and who registered for and passed QLSC 601 at the M.Sc. level, do not register for QLSC 601 at the Ph.D. level.
- 2
NOTE: Students DO NOT register for these courses until notified by the Student Affairs Officer.
Students must complete BIOC 701 Research Seminar 1. in the third term after admission to the program, BIOC 702 Ph.D. Thesis Proposal. in the fifth or sixth term, and BIOC 703 Ph.D. Seminar. approximately six months prior to submission of the Ph.D. thesis.
Complementary Courses1 (9 credits)
- 1
Complementary courses are chosen in consultation with the Research Director.
3 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOC 600 | Advanced Strategies in Genetics and Genomics. | 3 |
Advanced Strategies in Genetics and Genomics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced technologies and methods in genomics research, presented by experts actively pursuing the experimental approaches discussed. | ||
| BIOC 603 | Genomics and Gene Expression. | 3 |
Genomics and Gene Expression. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of recent developments in analysis of eukaryotic cell genomes and control of gene expression during differentiation and growth control. Molecular genetics; genomics and the bioinformatics of analysis of genomic and functional-genomic data; mechanisms and signal-transduction pathways for regulation of gene expression; applications to human disease with a strong emphasis on cancer. | ||
| BIOC 604 | Macromolecular Structure. | 3 |
Macromolecular Structure. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. X-Ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, Electron Microscopy. Theory and methods used to determine macromolecular structures will be covered. Several practical sessions with hands-on experience for students are included. | ||
| BIOC 605 | Protein Biology and Proteomics. | 3 |
Protein Biology and Proteomics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of recent developments in protein biology and proteomics analysis. Proteomics, modeling and biophysical approaches to characterize the functional interactions of biological macromolecules; applications to biological problems. Lectures and in-class discussions are supplemented by practical training in proteomics. | ||
| BIOC 670 | Biochemistry of Lipoproteins. | 3 |
Biochemistry of Lipoproteins. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Structure, function and metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins as they relate to lipid storage diseases, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. | ||
| EXMD 615 | Essentials of Glycobiology. | 3 |
Essentials of Glycobiology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Examination of the structure, function, and biosynthesis of glycoproteins, glycolipids and glycosaminoglycans, and the biological role of complex carbohydrates. Lectins, methods for elucidating carbohydrate structure, glycomics, and human diseases due to disorders of glycan synthesis. | ||
| EXMD 635D1 | Experimental/Clinical Oncology. | 3 |
Experimental/Clinical Oncology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course will deal, on a site by site basis, with the incidence of cancer, present treatment, treatment outcome, underlying causes, current research and directions for development of new treatments. Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy and nutrition as therapy and treatment of cancer will be included. | ||
| EXMD 635D2 | Experimental/Clinical Oncology. | 3 |
Experimental/Clinical Oncology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See EXMD 635D1 for course description. | ||
6 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BINF 621 | Bioinformatics: Molecular Biology. | 3 |
Bioinformatics: Molecular Biology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The main problems related to the analysis of biological sequences (sequence comparison, homology, gene annotation, phylogenetic inference, comparative genomics) and the computational approaches (dynamic programming algorithms, Blast heuristics, hidden Markov models, Bayesian statistics). | ||
| BMDE 652 | Bioinformatics: Proteomics. | 3 |
Bioinformatics: Proteomics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Overview of high-throughput proteomic technologies commonly employed to study the localization and function of all proteins in an organism, and the bioinformatic approaches to analyze raw data and deposit them in proteome databases. | ||
| BTEC 555 | Structural Bioinformatics. | 3 |
Structural Bioinformatics. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Fundamentals of protein structure and the application of tools for structure determination, how protein structure allows us to understand the complex biological functions, and how knowledge of protein structure can contribute to drug discovery. | ||
| COMP 618 | Bioinformatics: Functional Genomics. | 3 |
Bioinformatics: Functional Genomics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Techniques related to microarrays (normalization, differential expression, class prediction, class discovery), the analysis of non-coding sequence data (identification of transcription factor binding sites), single nucleotide polymorphisms, the inference of biological networks, and integrative Bioinformatics approaches. | ||
| PHGY 603 | Systems Biology and Biophysics. | 3 |
Systems Biology and Biophysics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to classical and current topics in biophysics and systems biology in order to model the control of gene expression and intracellular signal transduction, as well as gene spread in populations. | ||
The Graduate Advisory Committee may stipulate additional coursework depending on the background of the candidate. BIOC 450 Protein Structure and Function. and BIOC 454 Nucleic Acids. are additional requirements for those who have not previously completed equivalent courses in their prior training.