7BIOM037W Systems Biology Coursework Report 2026 | University of Westminster

7BIOM037W SYSTEMS BIOLOGY COURSEWORK 1

Prepare a written report on the integrative analysis of multi-OMICs. You should describe how the measurement of the biological molecules at different levels (DNA, RNA, Protein, Metabolite, post-translational modified protein, etc…) can, for instance, help decipher disease mechanisms, identify new biomarkers/functional pathways for precision medicine or in the context of your topic.

Guidance

1. Investigate TWO OMICs minimum, from the combination suggested in the table below. This is only indicative, and you may choose a different combination. Also, as it is an integrative analysis of multi-OMICs two is the minimum, you might find studies that used more than 2 OMICs

2. Choose a disease or a topic that you are interested in (corresponding to your area of interest e.g. Cancer, microbiology, Biomedical Sciences….), and see if the integrative analysis of multi-OMICS from the table above has been reported to be associated with the disease/topic (approach this by undertaking a PubMed search with keywords, e.g. genomics, transcriptomics and cancer, transcriptomics, proteomics and microbiology).
3. Once you have identified which disease/topic and which OMICs you will study, you need to start your research.
4. Find out what the chosen OMICs are and how the generated dataset can be integrated to analyse biological molecules at different functional levels in the same sample. Consider how these OMICS are investigated in a wet lab but with a primary focus on how bioinformatics/computational is used to integrate the dataset from those OMICs together.
5. How the datasets have been integrated. Were candidate genes or functional pathways identified?
6. Did some wet lab validation followed up the in-silico analysis? What types of investigation were performed afterwards (in vitro, in vivo?)…but that will NOT be the main focus of your essay.
7. Based on your knowledge and research, could you suggest other bioinformatics tools or computational approach to integrate those datasets?

You might like to start by looking at some of the bioinformatics resources at the following webpages:

http://www.bioconductor.org

http://galaxyproject.org or FAQs: https://www.biostars.org/t/Latest/

Data Visualisation Tools:

16 network visualization tools that you should know! | by Dr. Veronica Espinoza | Medium

This list is not exhaustive, and you are expected to undertake your own exploration to search if there are other tools available. Similarly, these guidelines are also not exhaustive; you may find other helpful information when you start to investigate the OMICs and the associated disease. In week 8, a tutorial session will allow you to receive formative feedback on your draft essay.

Formatting And Submitting Your Report

The report should be a maximum of 2,000 words (excluding references).

You may use figures and diagrams, but please avoid excessive pasting of screenshots and make sure they are appropriately referenced.

Referencing should be in the Harvard style. Consult https://libguides.westminster.ac.uk/biomed/homesite within the University of Westminster’s online Library Guides pages. This site also explains using Refworks (ProQuest) to curate your references. Using this tool, you will be able to manage your references and automate the creation of reference lists and bibliographies from in-text citations. Failure to follow the School’s preferred system Cite them right Harvard may lose you marks. https://libguides.westminster.ac.uk/referencing

Include at the end the GenAI list provided (see separate document, not included in word count!)

Upload your report to Turnitin following the guidelines for on-line submission of coursework.

Ensure that your name and student number are written in the document’s header before uploading your work.

Submit your report before 1.00 PM on the 14rd of April 2026. The Turnitin link will open three weeks before the deadline if you are ready to submit it.