- Docente: Alina Sirbu
- Credits: 6
- SSD: INF/01
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Biological Sciences (cod. 5982)
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from Sep 25, 2025 to Jan 16, 2026
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the student: (i) know the basics of Python programming language; (ii) is aware of different types of data-analytics (diagnostic, predictive, prescription, etc) and of the main enabling techniques; (iii) is able to design and data-pipeline process, from the data acquisition until the data analysis and valorization; (iv) knows the main applications of data analytics, with a special emphasis on biology.
Course contents
The course is made of two parts: a first part concentrating on Python programming, and a second part consisting of data analysis in Python.
Python programming:
- Introduction to programming, algorithms, data structures.
- The Python language: data types, control flow, data structures, functions, libraries.
Data analysis in Python:
- Types of Biological data and suitable data structures.
- Descriptive analytics for various data types using libraries.
- Predictive analysis using regression and/or classification models.
- Statistical tests and model analysis to identify important variables.
- Python libraries: numpy, scipy, matplotlib, pandas, scikitlearn
Readings/Bibliography
The slides and solutions to exercises will be made available through the virtual platform.
It is recommended that you complete the exam for the class Fondamenti di Matematica, Probabilità e Statistica before taking this class.
For further reading:
- Starting out with Python, T. Gaddis, any edition.
- Python for Data Analysis: Data Wrangling with Pandas, NumPy, and IPython, Wes McKinney, any edition.
Teaching methods
Frontal lectures in class, Python exercises in computer lab.
Assessment methods
Evaluation will consist of two parts:
- Written exam: programming exercises and data analysis, in 'open book' mode (all books and other hard copy material allowed).
- Oral exam: only if the written exam obtains at least 15/30 points. The oral exam can increase or decrease the written grade, including the possibility of an insufficient outcome.
Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.
Teaching tools
Slides will be made available, and solutions to exercises completed in class.
A set of exercises for self practice will also be made available.
Office hours
See the website of Alina Sirbu