NIBLSE: A Network to Fully Integrate Bioinformatics into the Undergraduate Curriculum.

Bioinformatics is a vital component of many avenues of biological investigation. Proficiency in biological sequence analysis tools and a basic understanding of programming and statistical analysis are necessary to be a successful life scientist at any level from lab technician to leader of a biotechnology team to professor. To this end, the Network for Integrating Bioinformatics into Life Sciences Education (NIBLSE, pronounced “nibbles”) was formed and funded by the NSF in 2015 to: 1) create a network of investigators committed to integrating bioinformatics into undergraduate life sciences education; 2) develop and disseminate a set of core bioinformatics competencies for undergraduate students in the biological sciences; 3) identify and disseminate assessment tools that are aligned with the core competencies; and 4) organize and vet curricular activities and professional development materials that address the competencies. During this talk I will present the nine bioinformatics core competencies for life scientists identified by NIBLSE. I will also demonstrate the QUBES NIBLSE community members can use to disseminate their bioinformatics curricula (https://qubeshub.org/groups/niblse). Finally, I will briefly address the next steps that NIBLSE will take to provide assessment and professional development tools to aid biology instructors in incorporating bioinformatics into their curricula.