Welcome to the Biostar Handbook
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Bioinformatics data analysis guide with online courses included

The answers to some of the greatest questions of life lie within ourselves. Bioinformatics is a new science created by fusing Biology and Data Science. Through this emerging and rapidly changing field of study, scientists can find and decode hidden information in our very own genes, allowing us to understand what none before us have known.

The Biostar Handbook is your data analysis guide to entering and succeeding in this novel scientific field. Unlike other scientific domains that require many years of study, Bioinformatics runs on computational thinkingenthusiasm and a "can do attitude". We will fuel you with the energy you need to succeed.

Re-imagined and simplified

Over the years the content in the  Biostar Handbook has expanded greatly - close to 1,000 pages!  Along the way came the realization that covering all subjects in a single, expansive volume is becoming overly challenging to learn from. 

To address the new realities we have reworked the content into separate, more manageable volumes of study. As of April 2022, the following books are also included with your purchase:

Access to every book is included with your purchase. 

Course materials: BMMB 852 - Applied Bioinformatics

The online course titled Applied Bioinformatics started on August 24, 2021 and provides a well designed path through the content of the 2nd Edition:

You may join at any time to follow along a Ph.D. level course that uses the Biostar Handbook as the textbook. It is the simplest, and easiest way to get started in this new exciting domain of science! 

The Biostar Handbook is a beginner's guide to bioinformatics...

Starting with basic concepts such as understanding how analysis is done in general and what conclusions can be drawn from data, the Biostar Handbook eases you into the limitless world of possibilities of this new scientific domain.

...but with advanced data analytics

With the help of the e-book, you will be reproducing results from realistic, and cutting edge data analysis scenarios such as genome variation, SNP callinggenome assembly and RNA-seq based gene expression studies. For example, you will learn how to find and tabulate the SNP mutations in the Ebola virus strain that caused the 2014 outbreak.

In later chapters, you will learn how to identify, quantify and characterize the gene expression changes in the human brain caused by the Zika virus infections of 2016 and how to visualize and interpret your findings.

Reliable training...

The e-book will give you a solid training to build upon and will teach you how to think about finding solutions to common bioinformatics tasks.  You will master key skills that will allow you to:

  • Analyze sequencing data produced by instruments.
  • Perform advanced data analytics such as short read alignment, variation calling or gene expression analysis.
  • Reproduce and validate published results.
  • Make discoveries independently, by yourself, on your computer.

The e-book, currently at 694 pages, with over 24 instantly searchable chapters, covers vast tracts of this novel scientific domain - with more chapters and topics to come in the next years.  

    Our goal is to make our e-book and the supporting materials around it the most comprehensive, most complete, "one-stop-shop" for bioinformatics data analysis. Read more about why we wrote this book on the FAQ page.

    ...from an experienced educator

    The Biostar Handbook is a learner's guide to Bioinformatics.  Developed by Dr. István Albert, one of the forward-thinking experts and respected educators in this field, the Biostar Handbook is designed to allow anyone, regardless of prior experience, to delve deep into this data-driven field.

    Active learning...

    The educational process and teaching approach you will find in the Handbook were refined in world-class research facilities, shaped over many years by the feedback and experiences of hundreds of students. The book will allow you to break into this current field and be part of solving some of the greatest challenges we are facing at the scientific frontier of the 21st century.

    .. with updated content

    Unlike traditional bioinformatics data analysis related books and training materials that become outdated within months of their publication, the Biostar Handbook is a continuously updated resource. Since the launch, the following new chapters and books have been released:

    • January 1st, 2023, Biostar Workflows expanded with the  RNA-Seq in 10 minutes chapters
    • January 17th, 2023,  new edition for the The Art of Bioinformatics Scripting
    • September 14th, 2022, a new book Biostar Workflows
    • February 10th, 2021, new book: Coronavirus Genome Analyis
    • February 1st, 2020, new book: RNA-Seq by Example
    • November 1st, 2019, new book: The Art of Bioinformatics Scripting
    • September 1st, 2019: New course Learn Bioinformatics the Right Way
    • April 26, 2019: The 2nd Edition has been released. All content has been reworked and updated. 
    • January 1st, 2019: New online course: Bioinformatics Data Analysis
    • October 1st, 2018: A new course is launched Bioinformatics Recipes
    • May 1st, 2018: A Python course has been launched: Learn Python in 100 hours. Enrollment included with the book.
    • February 10, 2018: A quiz system added to the handbook. Evaluate your knowledge after each lecture. 
    • December 5th, 2017: An online course: Learn Bioinformatics in  100 hours
    • September 13, 2017: complete rework of the chapters on Computer setup and Quality control
    • August 8, 2017: added a new chapter on Metagenomics Classification
    • April 6, 2017: added a new chapter on ChIP-Seq Data Analysis
    • January 28, 2017: added a new chapter on Genome Assembly
    • December 14, 2016: reworked sections on RNA-Seq Puzzle, Interval Datatypes

    In addition, we have a generous refund policy so that you don't have to worry about not knowing what you get. 

    Analysis with an attitude...

    The book is more than a how-to-do list. We teach you how to think about data analysis in general and how to find solutions more quickly and efficiently. We champion what we call holistic data analysis - where we think of full processes as a whole rather than isolated, individual steps. We are champions for reproducible research but in a more revolutionary way: we teach you how to do it better, simpler, and faster.

    .. that makes you and a whole team more productive

    Jonathan Pevsner, author of the bestselling book Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics had the following to say:

    "The Biostar Handbook is immediately indispensable for anyone involved in bioinformatics—the study of proteins, genes and genomes using computer algorithms. According to the book itself, the Biostar Handbook covers three areas: (1) bioinformatics foundations (data formats, sequence alignment, using the Unix command line); (2) protocols for topics from genome variation to RNAseq; and (3) using software tools.

    But bioinformatics involves more than just algorithms and methods: it is emerging as a discipline that requires a way of thinking to help the user to find the right tools, to learn how to use them, and to know how to interpret the results. This book does a fantastic job of imparting this essential wisdom of how to think about bioinformatics, and how to solve problems. I bought a set of five copies for my lab, and it’s been interesting to see how it’s immediately served a range of people from the complete beginners to the power users. There’s just nothing else like it out there."

    Boost the productivity of your lab or research group by offering them the Biostar Handbook. Get a Research Lab 5-pack or contact us for other volume pricing offers. 

    Teach with the Handbook...

    If you are teaching bioinformatics courses, organize workshops or boot-camps you should offer your participants access to the Biostar Handbook. You can get reduced pricing via the Classroom Edition for all participants and your students may use the book even after the training is concluded. The Biostar Handbook is used at universities around the world from the United States to South Korea and Costa Rica.

    ...and focus on what matters

    Adopting the Biostar Handbook will allow educators to concentrate on training students in the skills and analytics that matter the most rather than fighting installation and other problems during the lectures. Modern bioinformatics is growing larger every day. The Biostar Handbook provides you with the analytical skills and a foundation onto which you can build upon.

    Additional volume pricing is available. Contact us for details at: contact@biostarhandbook.com