Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics brings together the fields of life science, computer science and statistics. When biological information is captured on computer, it can be used to produce new computer systems (databases, software, networks, and even hardware) and solve problems in a wide variety of areas ranging from biology to medicine.

Bioinformaticians strive to understand medical and biological systems by the creative use of statistics and computer analysis. They may write computer programs to analyse data in a new way, they may apply existing analytical tools to new data sets, they may introduce novel statistical methods into the analysis of data and they may extend existing analytical capabilities to genomesized data sets.

The most recognised application of bioinformatics has been the mapping of the human genome sequence.

http://www.usyd.edu.au/sydneybioinformatics/index.shtml

What will you study?

Over recent years there has been a surge of interest in bioinformatics that has been fed by major advances in areas such as genome sequencing projects, molecular modelling, genomics and proteomics.

The major in bioinformatics requires a minimum of 24 credit points from senior units of study in the life sciences, statistics and computer science.

The University of Sydney Advantage

The University of Sydney has a vast breadth of expertise in bioinformatics covering the disciplines of statistics, computer science, genetics, biochemistry, veterinary science, medicine and agriculture. Bioinformatics research has been concentrated within Sydney Bioinformatics, a centre formed recently by merging the Sydney University Biological Informatics and Technology (SUBIT) Centre and the Australian Genomic Information Centre (AGIC) in the new Medical Foundation Building, which houses bioinformatics and functional genomics groups.

Career Opportunities

Bioinformatics graduates are in high demand. Career opportunities in bioinformatics will continue to expand on both the computer and biological science fronts. For computer science, there are opportunities in programming, database development, systems analysis and software engineering. In the biological sciences career opportunities exist for bioinformatics experts who assist biologists and medical researchers to interpret biological or medical data, design user interfaces, and run laboratory information management and analysis systems.

Opportunities also exist in research laboratories in universities, hospitals, and the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries. The Master of Applied Science (Bioinformatics) is an additional avenue for students wishing to pursue a career in Bioinformatics.