Rosalind

What Rosalind is

Rosalind is a free web-based learning site that teaches bioinformatics and programming through problem solving. Learners submit answers for automatic checking, and can write code on their own computers before uploading or pasting a result. The site accepts any programming language. Its tracks include Python Village, Bioinformatics Stronghold, Bioinformatics Armory, Bioinformatics Textbook Track, and Algorithmic Heights. Python Village introduces programming basics; Stronghold problems cover subjects such as mass spectrometry, sequence alignment, genome assembly, phylogeny, probability, and string algorithms. Rosalind is intended for biologists developing programming skills and programmers new to computational problems in molecular biology. Faculty can create classes, assign problems, track student progress, review submissions, and use a grade sheet; professors can request a free Faculty account. Problems have time limits, and an incorrect answer requires a wait before another attempt. The Faculty page says plagiarism checking was being implemented, so instructors had to compare student code themselves in the meantime. Rosalind is free and open to the public, with no free trial.