C04 Intermediate ⏱ 4 Weeks 🎯 20 hours 📡 8 live sessions
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Sequence Alignment & Phylogenetics

Trace evolution algorithmically — from sequence to tree.

Understand alignment at the algorithmic level and build publication-quality phylogenetic trees. This course bridges theory and practice — you will implement Needleman-Wunsch from scratch AND produce trees used in real publications.

Enrol Now → View Curriculum
₦28,000 ≈ $34
4 WeeksDuration
20hContact Hours
8Live Sessions
4Topic Blocks
8Tools Covered

Curriculum

What you will learn

Every session is hands-on. Every topic comes with practical exercises using real biological datasets.

Week 1

Pairwise Alignment Algorithms

  • Dynamic programming: the foundation of sequence alignment
  • Needleman-Wunsch (global): DP matrix, traceback, affine gaps
  • Smith-Waterman (local): differences, BLAST as heuristic
  • Scoring matrices: BLOSUM vs PAM, when to use each
Week 2

Multiple Sequence Alignment

  • Progressive alignment (ClustalW): guide tree, profile-profile
  • Iterative alignment (MAFFT, MUSCLE): accuracy benchmarks
  • Alignment columns: informative vs invariant vs parsimony sites
  • TrimAl and Gblocks: removing poorly aligned regions
Week 3

Phylogenetic Methods

  • Substitution models: JC, K2P, GTR — model selection with ModelFinder
  • Neighbour-joining: phenetic approach, distance matrices
  • Maximum likelihood: IQ-TREE, bootstrap support interpretation
  • Bayesian inference: MrBayes, posterior probability
Week 4

Tree Interpretation & Publication

  • Tree rooting: outgroup selection, midpoint rooting
  • Monophyly, paraphyly, polyphyly: reading evolution correctly
  • iTOL: annotating and publishing trees at publication quality
  • Real case study: vertebrate phylogeny from cytochrome b

Outcomes

What you will be able to do

Concrete, measurable skills you will take away and use immediately in your research or career.

Tools & Software

ClustalWMAFFTMEGA11IQ-TREE 2MrBayesTrimAliTOLBioPython

Course Details

Everything included

One payment — full access to all course materials, live sessions, and community.

What's included

  • 8 live online sessions
  • 20 hours of content
  • Python alignment scripts
  • Real vertebrate dataset
  • Course certificate
  • Community access
  • Lifetime recordings

Who this course is for

Evolutionary biologists · Microbiologists · Molecular epidemiologists · Virologists · PhD students in comparative genomics

Prerequisites

C01–C03 recommended. Basic Python helps but is not required.

Instructor

Your instructor

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Dr. Ashraf Akintola

PhD Biomedical Convergence Science and Technology | Bioinformatics Researcher & Educator

With close to a decade of research experience in genomics and computational biology, Dr. Noble has trained researchers across 40+ countries. His hands-on teaching philosophy has made noblekinbio one of Africa's leading bioinformatics education platforms.

What students say

Trusted by researchers worldwide

Students from 40+ countries have transformed their careers with noblekinbio courses.

"This program changed how I do research. I went from copy-pasting BLAST results to writing my own pipelines. The hands-on approach is unlike any other bioinformatics course I have taken."

CO

Chioma Okonkwo

PhD Student, University of Lagos

"Dr. Noble explains complex algorithms in a way that finally clicks. I completed C04 and C05 and immediately applied them to our malaria genomics project."

EA

Emmanuel Asante

Bioinformatics Analyst, Ghana Health Service

"I was sceptical about an online course being truly hands-on. I was wrong. Every session I was actually running code, not just watching. The Snakemake module alone was worth it."

FA

Fatima Al-Rashidi

Molecular Biology Researcher, Jordan

"C10 gave me the drug discovery computational skills I needed to transition from wet lab to computational research. I have already applied QSAR modelling in my current role."

OA

Oluwaseun Adeyemi

Pharmaceutical Scientist, Nigeria

FAQ

Common questions

How does this work with Selar? +
After clicking "Enrol Now", you will be taken to our Selar checkout page. Pay securely with card, bank transfer, or Flutterwave. Once payment is confirmed, you immediately receive access to the course content and are added to our private student community.
Do I need to attend live sessions? +
Live sessions are strongly recommended for Q&A and community, but all sessions are recorded and available in your Selar account within 24 hours. You have lifetime access to all recordings.
What if the course is not right for me? +
We offer a 7-day refund policy. If you have attended fewer than 2 sessions and completed fewer than 20% of the course, contact us at support@noblekinbio.com for a full refund.
Can I take courses in any order? +
Some courses have prerequisites (shown above). We recommend following the program sequence, but motivated students can discuss exceptions with the instructor via the community.
Is there a group discount? +
Yes — teams of 3+ receive 20% off. Contact us at enrol@noblekinbio.com with your team details.
Will I receive a certificate? +
Yes. Upon completing all assessments, you receive a digital certificate from noblekinbio.com. Completing all 13 courses earns the full Bioinformatics Certificate Program credential.
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Ready to start C04?

Trace evolution algorithmically — from sequence to tree. Enrol today and get instant access to all course materials.

₦28,000 | $34 USD
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