What is Bioinformatics?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2023) reports an uptick in the percentage of bioinformatics and other positions in our economy, such as in the occupations of computer and information research scientists, biomedical scientists, and biomedical engineers. Bioinformatics is a field that combines analytics and data representation to make sense of the vast amounts of data generated every day.

Discover what happens in bioinformatics, including information about related disciplines in biotechnology, credentialing, occupational duties, and more.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) recently established a newer, more comprehensive definition of bioinformatics that points to the field’s interdisciplinary nature. Bioinformatics is the process by which biological problems posed by the assessment or study of biodata are interpreted and analyzed. Bioinformatics professionals develop algorithms, programs, codes, and analytic models to record and store data related to biology, the health sciences, and healthcare. This includes studying things like the human genome, biochemical proteins, pharmacological ingredients, metabolic pathway readings, and much more. 

Most recently, the National Human Genome Research Institute defined bioinformatics as “Bioinformatics, as related to genetics and genomics, is a scientific subdiscipline that involves using computer technology to collect, store, analyze and disseminate biological data and information, such as DNA and amino acid sequences or annotations about those sequences. Scientists and clinicians use databases that organize and index such biological information to increase our understanding of health and disease and, in certain cases, as part of medical care”.

Organizations that operate major bioinformatics publications include Oxford’s Bioinformatics Journal and the Journal of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.

As the preponderance and availability of data grows, the need to interpret this data will keep pace. Mapping cancer genomes, for example, involves serious data input from thoroughly analyzed genetic fragments. As with every other modern medical field, data analytics plays a major role in bioinformatics, even if you have no plans to study engineering or computer science. A basic understanding of data set management and presentation is also highly useful.

When discussing the field of bioinformatics or reading about its developments, the phrase computational biology will pop up. Why is that? Well, the two fields are quite closely related. While bioinformatics refers to the study of large sets of biodata, biological statistics, and results from scientific studies, computational biology, by contrast, is concerned with solutions to issues that studies in bioinformatics have raised.

Both disciplines are generally considered facets of the rapidly expanding fields of data science and biotechnology. Examples of how scientists utilize computational biology include how proteins interact with each other and the simulation of protein folding, motion, and interaction.

As both fields rely on the availability and accuracy of datasets, they usually help one another reach their respective project goals. While computational biology emphasizes the development of theoretical methods, computational simulations, and mathematical modeling, bioinformatics emphasizes informatics and statistics.

Okay, so what’s biotechnology, then? Biotechnology can be considered the outcome of bioenterprise’s pursuit of more efficient biological processes while at the same time attempting to address a market need.

Bioinformatics and computational biology are two fields that have arisen from the growth of the business of biodata. BIO, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, predicts advancements in biotechnological, bioinformatical, and computationally biological research and implementation will significantly assist the world as it faces the 21st century’s impending resource challenges. The fields are generally integrated into laboratories, research centers, or colleges—almost always with a major experimental component.

Bioinformatics is a rich specialization in which the myriad uses of data are explored, from pharmacology to antibiotics, and from green technologies to climate change studies.

Skills in data analytics, programming, general scientific know-how, and databases are critical. These, and many more, are included in a running list of bioinformatics applications in the fields of microbial genome applications in molecular medicine, personalized medicine, antibiotic resistance, preventative medicine, drug development, gene therapy, evolutionary studies, biotechnology, waste cleanup, crop improvement, insect resistance, alternative energy sources, artificial intelligence, zoology, animal behavioral studies, climate change studies, forensic analysis, machine learning, improvement of nutritional quality, development of drought-resistant varieties of crops, and veterinary science.

Most careers available in bioinformatics can be found in computer information science, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical technology, computational biology, proteomics, and medical informatics. Bioinformatics professionals often develop algorithms; build databases; and present data, studies, and research to other bioinformatics professionals. The databases they build are typically used for processing and analyzing things like genomic information, genetic trends, generalized and varied types of biodata, research results, and statistics.

Some of the standard fields in which bioinformatics professionals can be found include evolutionary biology, genome mapping, protein modeling, health administration, and more.

Evolutionary bioinformatics scientists use software to track genetic data and achieve new insights into the genome of disease and genetic risk factors. Genome maps are built by inputting biodata into software, which then builds complex models of genetic samples. This helps bioinformatics scientists spend far less time mapping genes and more time studying and locating specific proteins. This is called protein modeling and is used to test a specialist’s theories on how proteins interact to affect genetic change, adaptation, and development.

These are just a few examples of jobs undertaken by bioinformatics professionals. The next section contains further options, fields, and positions in bioinformatics.

The field of bioinformatics encompasses a wide array of biotechnological sub-disciplines underpinned by a scientific ethic grounded in the biological sciences and a deep understanding of computer science and information technology. Bioinformatics continues to grow in scope and utility. Examples of a few of the many fields informed by the work of bioinformatics include:

• Computational biology – the application of data-based solutions to problems in bioinformatics
• Genetics – the study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics
• Genomics – the branch of molecular biology concerned with the structure, function, evolution, and mapping of genomes
• Proteomics – the study of proteomes and their functions
• Metagenomics – the study of genetic matter from environmental sources and samples
• Transcriptomics – the study of the complete RNA transcriptome
• Phylogenetics – the study of the relationships in groups of animals and humans
• Metabolomics – the study of the biochemistry of metabolism and metabolites
• Systems biology – mathematical modeling and analysis of large sets of biodata
• Structural analysis – an assessment that determines the effects of physical loads on physical structures
• Molecular modeling – the modeling of molecular structures by way of computational chemistry
• Pathway analysis – a software assessment that identifies related proteins in metabolic pathways

Bioinformatics is almost always chosen as a specialization at the graduate level. Most students come from undergraduate courses of study in biology, computer science, chemistry, biochemistry, or bioengineering. But, in recent years, more and more undergraduate programs in bioinformatics have begun to emerge. Some of them are covered below.

Bachelor’s programs featuring bioinformatics are, in most cases, specialized programs in the sciences with concentrations in bioinformatics, data analytics, programming, and more.

Master’s degree programs in bioinformatics can prepare graduates for careers in consultation, university teaching, or applied research jobs. Going on to pursue a PhD in this field will put candidates in the top percentile of earners and will give them the tools needed to ascend to the highest levels of the field.

Here are five examples of degree programs related to bioinformatics:

Columbia University

Columbia University offers an online master of science (MS) in computational biology that focuses on data science, bioinformatics programming, bioinformatics computational methods, mathematical biology, and bioengineering. A graduate degree in computational biology is a sensible next step after undergraduate study in bioinformatics or biosciences.

Applicants to the program must possess an undergraduate degree in computer science with a 3.5 grade point average. Applicants who have degrees in other disciplines will be required to have completed at least six prerequisites: four computer science courses covering the foundations of the field and two math courses. GRE scores are not required for admission.

Made up of 30 credits, the program includes courses such as computational genomics; introduction to probability and statistics; introduction to computational learning theory; advanced database systems; statistical modeling and data analysis; introduction to genomic information science & technology; and deep learning for computer vision and natural language processing.

• Location: New York, NY
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• Expected Time to Completion: Two years
• Estimated Tuition: $2,462 per credit

Northeastern University

Northeastern University offers an online master’s in bioinformatics degree that focuses on subjects such as bioinformatics programming, bioinformatics computational methods, and ethics in biomedical research. The program also offers an online graduate certificate in bioinformatics.

The MS program can provide prospective bioinformatics or computational biology professionals with the skills, knowledge, and practical understanding that are essential to success in the field. Northeastern University’s College of Science is a leading online institution in the field of biodata studies and boasts a faculty of expert bioinformatics professionals.

Additionally, the master’s degree has concentrations available in bioinformatics enterprise; biotechnology; data analytics; health informatics; medical health informatics; and omics.

Comprising 32 credits, the program includes courses such as bioinformatics computational methods; ethics in biological research; the biotechnology enterprise; bioinformatics programming; statistics for bioinformatics; genomics in bioinformatics; omics in bioinformatics; biomedical imaging; molecular bioengineering; and advanced genomics.

• Location: Boston, MA
• Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
• Expected Time to Completion: Two to three years
• Estimated Tuition: $1,791 per credit

University of Arizona

The University of Arizona offers an online bachelor of science program in bioinformatics that equips students with the expertise and skills, spanning both biological and computational domains, necessary for succeeding in this rapidly growing field. Completing this program will prepare students to pursue professional and graduate degrees, or transition to careers in bioinformatics-related fields.

Notably, this degree requires two organic chemistry labs and students may complete this requirement via Arizona Online or through an Immersion/Hybrid format requiring 3.5 days per lab at the University of Arizona Main Campus.

This 120-credit program includes courses such as genetics; bioinformatics; data mining and discovery; evolutionary biology; biostatistics; applied data visualization; introductory biology; statistical foundations for information age; and computational thinking & doing, among others.

Graduates have entered careers in pharmaceutical development, biomedical informatics, biotechnology, medical and clinical research, database development and implementation, software development and engineering, and data analysis. They will be able to take up roles such as bioinformatics scientists, biomedical engineers, software engineers, biostatisticians, bioinformatics technicians, and biological technicians, among many other such roles.

• Location: Tucson, AZ
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC
• Expected Time to Completion: Four years
• Estimated Tuition: $525 per credit

Illinois Institute of Technology

Illinois Institute of Technology’s Lewis College of Science and Letters offers an on-campus bachelor of science program in bioinformatics that blends courses in chemistry, physics, and biology with courses in statistics, programming, and other methods, producing outstanding graduates who are both strong in science and able to use and develop data processing tools to advance scientific knowledge.

The program has two available tracks: an applied bioinformatics track – which has more courses in computer science and a computational biology track – which has more courses in biology.

The program comprises 127 to 128 credits and includes courses such as genetics; biochemistry; genomics and transcriptomics; biological literature; biology colloquium; microbiology; introduction to differential equations; introduction to parallel and distributed computing; information retrieval; and data mining.

Graduates will be prepared to take up roles such as bioinformaticians, biostatisticians, computational biologists, data scientists, and geneticists.

• Location: Chicago, IL
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Expected Time to Completion: Four years
• Estimated Tuition: $49,643

New York University

New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering offers an online master of science program in bioinformatics. Graduates of this program will build solid skills in big data analysis and molecular biology. By advancing and creating algorithms, utilizing statistical and computational techniques, and applying theory, they will be able to solve practical problems that arise in the management of biological data and make significant contributions to society through groundbreaking innovations in vaccine design, cancer care, energy, and agriculture.

Students in this 30-credit program will have laboratory and translational science concentration options. Courses include algorithms and data structures for bioinformatics; problem-solving for bioinformatics; biology and biotechnology for bioinformatics; applied biostatistics for bioinformatics; proteomics for bioinformatics; translational genomics and computational biology; and population genetics and evolutionary biology for bioinformatics.

Upon completion, graduates will be well-qualified to address important issues in areas such as public health, infectious diseases, agriculture, green technology, and genetic diseases.

• Location: New York City, NY
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• Expected Time to Completion: Two years
• Estimated Tuition: $2,335 per credit

• Carlton College’s Bioinformatics Resources & Tools Database
• National Center for Toxicological Research: Tools for Bioinformatics Research
• Wikipedia List of Open-Source Bioinformatics Software
• Pitt’s Health Sciences Library: Online Bioinformatics Resources Collection
• PLOS Computational Biology Software
• Nature Computational Biology Tools
• Institute for Systems Biology List of Open-Source Computational Biology Software
• BioData Mining
• Bioinformatics
• Briefings in Bioinformatics
• Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal
• Current Bioinformatics
• Evolutionary Bioinformatics
• Journal of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Kenneth Parker

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Kenneth is a feature writer, poet, and musician living in the Pacific Northwest. His writing on remote work, education, and technology has been published by BustedCubicle.com, MedicalTechnologySchools.com, and other websites. His poetry, short fiction, and album reviews have appeared in Scifaikuest, Nanoism, and No Clean Singing. His background includes time spent as an associate editor, proofreader, private grammar instructor, freelance content editor, medical claims agent, and SEO consultant. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon, where he studied literature and worked as a composition tutor.