Graduate Opportunities

in BioinformaticsBy Mohan Reddy

4th year biotechnology studentJNTUA College Of Engineering,

Pulivendula.

Biowhat?Bioinformatics is a sub-field of the Biological SciencesBioinformatics is highly interdisciplinary and draws upon the following

areas of study to solve biological problems: Applied Mathematics Statistics Computer ScienceAlso referred to as Computational Biology

The Emergence Of Bioinformatics With the discovery of DNA came a desire

among biologists to understand how genetic structure affects the biological traits of organisms

Sequencing is not sufficient (95% of human genome is “junk” DNA)

Genes must be identified and correlated with the functions of their corresponding proteins

Biological phenomena must then be linked to protein identity, structure, and genomic origin

The Human Genome Project (HGP) 15-year project started in 1986 to sequence

the human genome and identify all relevant genes

The human genome consists of 3 billion base pairs and roughly 25,000 genes (gene identification is still under progress)

Obviously, the amount of data produced by the HGP is immense!

As a result, powerful new data management and analysis methods were developed

These methods were precursors to current research in bioinformatics

Recent progress in several sub-fields of biology is resulting in a boom in database size and complexity

Consequently, there is a great need in many areas of biology for efficient database management and new computer-based analytical techniques

In practice, bioinformaticians manage and analyze large biological databases using a combination of their knowledge of computer science, statistics, and biology

Current Problems in Bioinformatics Sequence alignment Gene finding Genome assembly Protein structure alignment Prediction of Gene

expression Protein-protein interactions Modeling of evolution

Example Problem: Gene ExpressionExample Problem: Gene Expression

DNA Microarray: ~57,000 Sites

Graduate Studies Because bioinformatics requires knowledge of

biology, statistics, and computer science, many graduate students must fill in the holes in their education during the first 1-2 years of grad school

There are no departments of bioinformatics Research in bioinformatics typically takes place

within the context of a group dedicated to molecular biology, genetics, or biochemistry

Degree programs in bioinformatics are plentiful, but because we, as physics majors, are lacking academic preparation for graduate work in this area, the first step to becoming involved is to contact the bioinformatics group here at ND

Bioinformaticians @ NDFrank H. Collins (Professor of Biology) Research focuses on the genetics of arthropod (mosquitoes) vectors of human pathogensRobert Bruggner, Graduate Student for Collins ND Undergraduate, Computer Science Had no prior Biology education Enrolled in the molecular biology curriculum Current research:

1. Write programs for gene prediction2. Create computer system to manage online biological data library

Contact: Collins, 313 Galvin Bruggner, 325 Galvin

Graduate Study Elsewhere Molecular Biology Rankings:1. Harvard2. Stanford3. MIT4. Berkeley5. Johns Hopkins

6. Princeton, UC San Fransisco8. Cal Tech9. Yale10.Texas SW, Medcenter-Dallas,

Wisconsin, Washington University

Full List of Programs: Full List of Programs: http://ils.unc.edu/bmh/bioinfo/Bioinformatics_Programs_Brief_12-14-04.htmUseful Site Provided by UCSC: Useful Site Provided by UCSC: http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/programs/bioinformatics/graduate/faq.html

Career Opportunities Opportunities not just limited to academia and teaching; the biotech

boom created a huge demand for computer science professionals with an understanding of biological systems

Potential employers include both large corporations and small bio-”boutiques”

Online Employment Resources:

International Society for Computational Biology, job listings biotech find bioplanet BioSpace Career Center jobsearchtech bio.com career center Hire bio Canadian bioinformatics jobs

Conclusions Bioinformatics is a multi-disciplinary, highly collaborative field of

study which relies on knowledge of biology, statistics, applied mathematics, and computer science

There are many degree programs but, as students with a background in physics, we should expect degree completion to take a bit longer than usual

Job opportunities are more than plentiful for qualified applicants (extremely good salary)

References

Private Communication. Sharon Graw, Asst. Research Professor, Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and University of Denver, 23.10.2005.

Private Communication. Robert Bruggner, Graduate Student, University of Notre Dame, 24.10.2005.

<www.wikipedia.org><http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/programs/

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