Bioinformatics?

[jread]

Ok, I've looked at this degree program a few times and it becomes more interesting each time. It's a B.S. in Bioinformatics (http://www.stedwards.edu/science/bioinformatics/program_overview/index.html) at the university I'm currently attending.

What exactly is this field and what can you do with a degree in it? I honestly have never heard of it until now. I do have an interest in both biology and computer science (currenly a C.S. major) so I think something like this would be awesome. I just don't really know what it is.

Does anyone know what you can do with a Bioinformatics degree? Is this an INTP-friendly field? (seems like it would be)

[MacGuffin]

Wait, you are interested in a degree that you know little about?

Classic INTP!

[booyalab]

Ok, I've looked at this degree program a few times and it becomes more interesting each time. It's a B.S. in Bioinformatics (http://www.stedwards.edu/science/bioinformatics/program_overview/index.html) at the university I'm currently attending.

What exactly is this field and what can you do with a degree in it? I honestly have never heard of it until now. I do have an interest in both biology and computer science (currenly a C.S. major) so I think something like this would be awesome. I just don't really know what it is.

Does anyone know what you can do with a Bioinformatics degree? Is this an INTP-friendly field? (seems like it would be)

I'm considering Bioinformatics myself. It's the science of making computer databases and algorithms to help biological research.....especially for genomics. A degree with it would generally qualify you for working in the bioinformatics dept of a research facility. Doing research....durr

[jread]

I'm considering Bioinformatics myself. It's the science of making computer databases and algorithms to help biological research.....especially for genomics. A degree with it would generally qualify you for working in the bioinformatics dept of a research facility. Doing research....durr

Hey booyalab, I sent you a PM awhile back but never got an answer from you. Did you get the PM or no?

[booyalab]

Hey booyalab, I sent you a PM awhile back but never got an answer from you. Did you get the PM or no?
I dont think so, send it again?

[jread]

I dont think so, send it again?

Sent it again :)

[Serotonin]

Aaah. jread sent me a PM asking about the same thing.... I didn't realise there was a thread on it.
OK. I am just finishing off a BSc - Bioinformatics (Hons) at the University of Sydney. It was great - a very INTP type of degree. You don't even have to do a major - just fill quotas from certain (general) fields. So in my degree I got to do
- Biology - includes evolutionary and developmental genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry
- Computer Science
- Programming
- Pharmacology and Drug Design
- Mathematics - pure and applied e.g. information theory, nonlinear systems, chaos theory
- Modeling of Biological Systems (my hons project)

Very cool. Very recommended. Here is the PM i sent jread in return



Gday...
Majoring isn't really the right word.... more like my degree was a stream of the science degree at the University of Sydney. Other streams were Molecular Biotechnology, Molecular Biology and Genetics etc. etc.

Within Bioinformatics (which is a pretty broad field in itself) my speciality is modeling of biological systems (in the case of my honours degree - honeybee foraging system). So I use Matlab/Simulink. I also know Java, C, Unix scripting.

Jobs in bioinformatics would cover things like:
- Software development for things like RNA sequence viewing, protein folding, phylogenetic modeling, population genetics, genomics, and of course biological modeling
- Genomic analysis
- Pop gen analysis
- Drug design
- Evolutionary modeling e.g. cladistics

You'd find them in academia, biotech companies, pharmacy companies etc.

Many things! The degree I did was far from perfect, but it allowed me to get a grip on the scope of how you really need computers to analyse molecular biology.
Really fascinating too! I'm glad I did it.
The job opportunities in Australia for bioinformatics are looking pretty dim, but you guys in the States seem to have kick-ass R&D in that area. Europe looks pretty good too, so I may have to relocate overseas....

Anyway, good luck!