This document provides an overview and syllabus for a course on bioinformatics. It discusses the goals of learning about available bioinformatics programs and tools, and interpreting their outputs. The course will cover topics like sequence alignment, phylogenetics, genome comparison and using databases. Assessment will include homework, exams, a report, and participation. The document contrasts the "old" and "new" biology, noting how the new biology generates large datasets that require computational analysis to make sense of the data. It emphasizes that bioinformatics uses algorithms and databases to organize, analyze and interpret biological data at large scales.