A tool for teaching bioinformatics concepts to information systems majors is described. Biological data are available from numerous sources and a good knowledge of biology is needed to understand much of these data. As the subject of bioinformatics gains popularity among computer and information science course offerings, it will become essential for computer science and information systems majors to understand and appreciate basic biological concepts. The tool described in this paper involves the class working as a group on a project to design and develop an online database of interesting genes, proteins, and disorders. Students learn the complexity of life by searching for and finding data to populate the homegrown database. The project is highly extensible thereby making it possible for future classes to extend the database developed in preceding classes. (Contains 3 figures.)