Alla Bannikova

“Each step prepares you for the next one. The projects helped me to gain confidence and the community is very beneficial.”

Alla Bannikova

Data Analyst

Project overview

In this project, you’ll take on the role of a bioinformatician to analyze the RNA sequences of major COVID-19 variants: Delta and Omicron. You’ll use Python along with key libraries like Biopython and pandas to download sequence data, conduct exploratory analysis on the metadata, parse and align RNA sequences, and visualize mutation patterns.

This hands-on project allows you to apply your Python skills to a real-world bioinformatics challenge. You’ll gain experience working with genomic data, sequence alignment algorithms, and data visualization techniques. The project will enhance your portfolio, showcasing your ability to extract meaningful insights from complex biological datasets.

Objective: Analyze COVID-19 RNA sequences to understand virus mutation patterns and develop bioinformatics data analysis skills in Python.

Key skill required

To complete this project, it's recommended to build these foundational skills in Python

  • Working with Python data types, variables, and functions
  • Manipulating and analyzing data using pandas DataFrames and NumPy arrays
  • Implementing control flow statements like loops and conditionals in Python
  • Conducting exploratory data analysis and data visualization using Matplotlib and Seaborn

Projects steps

Step 1: Project Overview

Step 2: Loading the Metadata

Step 3: Exploratory Data Analysis

Step 4: Identifying Sequences to Download

Step 5: Downloading the Sequences

Step 6: Parsing RNA Sequences

Step 7: Aligning RNA Sequences

Step 8: Checking Alignment Across Variants

Step 9: Showing Sequence Mismatches

Step 10: Color Coding Mismatches

Step 11: Next Steps

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