Chapter 1 Overview

In Computer Lab 8B, we introduce some biology terminology that may be foreign. Therefore we recommend that you read over sections 2.1 to 2.3 of this supplement prior to completing this lab.

1.1 Learning Objectives

By the end of Computer Lab 8B, you will have learnt how to:

• Perform FWER and FDR correction on \(p\)-values
• Create volcano plots to visualise differential gene expression

Some prior knowledge of biology and genomics would be helpful, but is not required - we discuss all the relevant terminology in brief in this supplement!

In the later parts of Computer Lab 8B, we consider data from a gene expression analysis. This type of statistical analysis falls within the field of Bioinformatics. The underlying mathematics involved here is a little beyond the scope of this subject. Therefore much of the preparatory work has been done for you, with the focus of the lab being on visualising and interpreting the results, in the context of multiple hypothesis testing. We hope however that this exposure to the world of Bioinformatics sparks interest.