🧬 Python for Biologists - Course Materials

Welcome to the Python for Biologists course repository! This contains all the notebooks and materials you'll need for the course.

🎯 Quick Start

No installation needed! All materials run in Google Colab (free, browser-based). Just click any notebook link below and start coding!

🎓 Advanced users

Follow the instrcution here to download the repo and begin local development:

📚 Course Website

For lecture slides and additional resources, visit: python-for-biologists.vercel.app

📓 Lecture 1: Python Fundamentals

Work through these notebooks in order for the best learning experience:

Core Notebooks (Start Here!)

1. **Welcome to Google Colab**🎯 Your first steps with Jupyter notebooks and Python
2. **Variables & Comments**📦 Learn to store data and document your code
3. **Data Types**🔢 Numbers, text, and more - understanding Python data
4. **F-Strings & Formatting**🎨 Create beautiful, professional output
5. **Functions**🔧 Build reusable code blocks
6. **Lists**📋 Organize multiple pieces of data
7. **For Loops**🔄 Automate repetitive tasks
8. **Paths & File System**📁 Navigate and organize files
9. **Looping & Appending**🔄 Build data collections systematically
10. Reading & Writing Files 📄 Connect Python to your lab data

🚀 Special Resources

• **Lab Calculator Toolkit**🧪 Ready-to-use calculators for common lab tasks!
• Final MW Calculator Solution ⚛️ Complete molecular weight calculator project

💡 How to Use These Notebooks

1. Click any link above - it will open in Google Colab
2. Sign in with your Google account (Sussex email works!)
3. Copy to your Drive: File → Save a copy in Drive
4. Run code cells: Click the play button or press Shift + Enter
5. Experiment: Change values, break things, learn!

🎯 Learning Tips

Do:

• ✅ Type code yourself (don't just copy-paste)
• ✅ Run every cell and read the output
• ✅ Try the exercises at the end of each notebook
• ✅ Experiment with changing values
• ✅ Ask questions when stuck

Don't:

• ❌ Rush through without understanding
• ❌ Skip notebooks (they build on each other)
• ❌ Be afraid of errors (they help you learn!)
• ❌ Use AI to write code for you (you won't learn)

📁 Repository Structure

y3-bio-python/
├── notebooks/
│   └── lecture_1/        # All Lecture 1 notebooks
├── data/
│   └── reagents.csv      # Sample data for exercises
├── main.py               # Example Python script
└── README.md             # This file

🆘 Getting Help

1. In Colab: Read error messages carefully - they often tell you what's wrong
2. Slack Channel: Ask your classmates and TAs
3. Lab Sessions: Bring your questions to the practical sessions
4. Office Hours: Thursdays 2-4pm with Dr. Hochegger

🐛 Common Issues

"I can't run the code!"

• Make sure you're signed into Google
• Click the play button next to the code cell
• Check if you missed running earlier cells

"My code doesn't work!"

• Read the error message (usually the last line)
• Check for typos (Python is case-sensitive!)
• Make sure you ran all previous cells in order

"I lost my work!"

• Always use File → Save a copy in Drive
• Your work auto-saves every few minutes
• Check your Google Drive for saved copies

📝 Course Philosophy

"You can't learn Python from lectures alone - you must write code!"

This course gives you the tools and direction, but the learning happens when you:

• Type code yourself
• Make mistakes and fix them
• Build something useful
• Practice regularly

👨‍🏫 Instructor

Prof. Helfrid Hochegger 📧 hh65@sussex.ac.uk Dr. Doran Amos 📧 D.P.Amos@sussex.ac.uk

📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details. These materials are freely available for educational use. Feel free to share and adapt with attribution.

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Ready to start? Click on Welcome to Google Colab and begin your Python journey! 🚀