Bioinformatics - Minor

In the early 21st century we have gained the ability to decipher and manipulate the genetic information of organisms. We have also seen dramatic advances in imaging technologies from the macro to nano scales (Satellites/UAVs, hyper-spectral imaging, GPS, MRI, confocal and two photon microscopy, x-ray crystallography, etc.). Concomitant with, and underlying these advances, has been a revolution in information technology in which we have seen ever accelerating computational processing speeds and ever more massive data sets. These changes are driving a fundamental transformation of the biological sciences. In order to provide our students with the educational foundation they need to not just flourish, but to lead in this dramatically altered environment, we are offering a minor in the area of Bioinformatics to provide effective training at the interface of biological applications and computational tools. While students will be trained using the most advanced tools and applications available, the minor will focus on core concepts and approaches, to provide a durable skill set that can be applied to new tools and applications that will inevitably develop. The core curriculum of the minor will cover the essentials of effective computation, as well as the handling, exploration and utilization of large data sets.