Bioinformatics revolves around the application of information technology to the field of molecular biology. Plough through this article for 'know-how' on becoming a bioinformatics professional.

Bioinformatics Courses

You’ve probably heard of molecular biology, but have you heard of bioinformatics? Bioinformatics is nothing but the application of statistics and computer science to what the world and you have known as molecular biology. Bioinformatics as an emerging discipline aims at the collection, storage and analysis of biological data with the assistance of computer technology. By pulling off these important functions, bioinformatics aims to improve the quality of life as we know it. Bioinformatics, with its application of information technology to biology, has provided assistance to research and development in the fields of health, environment, energy and biotechnology. Bioinformatics most important functions include the mapping and analyzing of protein sequences and DNA, aligning protein sequences to compare them and creating 3-D models of protein structures. A career in bioinformatics can prove to be extremely rewarding in terms of both money and gratification earned. Read on to know more about what it takes to build a successful career in bioinformatics, career prospects, and the best institutes to graduate from. 

Career In Bioinformatics  

Eligibility
In India and the rest of the world, an individual aspiring for a career in bioinformatics will not have to look hard to find an institute offering a course in bioinformatics. At present there are many graduate, postgraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral courses in bioinformatics. A student can begin his or her career in bioinformatics by acquiring a bachelor’s degree after completing his or her 10+2 or an equivalent with a ‘specialization’ in science subjects. To be eligible for an M.Sc or an M.Tech in bioinformatics, an individual should have a bachelor’s degree in physical, agricultural, biological, veterinary or fishery sciences. The respective individual can also have an engineering or a technological bachelor’s degree. Students or aspirants aiming to earn degrees from institutes of repute will have to go through a series of entrance exams to actually be eligible for applying to the aforesaid institutes. 

Details Of The Course
A course in bioinformatics be it bachelors, masters or a doctoral, will focus on the vast amounts of biological network data that was discovered due to advances in experimental biology. A course in bioinformatics will attempt to give students a systems-level understanding of biological structures and processes. Students will have to familiarize themselves with myriad mathematical and computational tools to be used to develop and analyze biological data. It is the analyzing of the biological data that will help students understand biological processes, find remedies for diseases and contribute to the processes of biological experimentation. A course in bioinformatics, will typically give an overview of the existing types of biological network data and errors and biases in data.

Career Prospects
The career prospects for a bioinformatics professional are as good as any other field, if not better. Most bioinformatics professionals can find jobs in biotech and pharmaceutical companies. These professionals can also find employment in premier scientific institutes that owe loyalties to both the public and the government sectors. Companies involved in the manufacturing of biomedical products will be more than willing to hire bioinformatics professionals. A bioinformatics professional in order to get a well-paying job should be an expert in the areas of database design, sequence assembling and the analysis of sequence. The professional should also be familiar with the development of informatics, proteomics and proteomics. 

Some Of The Best Institutes Offering Courses In Bioinformatics
  • Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
  • Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur
  • National Institute of Technology at Bhopal, India
  • National Institute of Technology at Rourkela, India
  • Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore, India
  • VIT University, Vellore, India
  • Calcutta University, Kolkata, India
  • Jamia Millia Ismalia University, New Delhi, India


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