Bioinformatics

“Computers are to biology as math is to physics”

Harold Morowitz

Computing is key in many of the sciences, and biology is no exception. In fact, computer science and biology partner so often that a new field was invented: bioinformatics. Bioinformatics offers an abundance of exciting research and career opportunities.

What is bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics (or computational biology) is an interdisciplinary field in which we analyze biological data using tools of computer science and statistics. In recent years biology has become a science of information—biologists are producing data at an unprecedented rate—genome sequences are just one of the many types of the large scale datasets—all of which require sophisticated methods for their analysis. It all starts with sequencing of a genome which requires sophisticated algorithms to assemble the billions of nucleotides that make up a mammalian genome out of the small pieces generated by modern sequencing technology. Assembly of the human genome in 2001 was a programming tour-de-force that opened a new era (here’s a short interview with Jim Kent who wrote the program that did it). By now the sequencing of the human genome is old news, and sequencing technology is advancing at such a high rate that personalized genome sequencing is within reach, making the data deluge an even more severe problem. And unlike the dark future portrayed in the movie Gattaca, this opens up the possibility for the delivery of treatment that is custom-tailored to your genetic and cellular makeup—a future that depends on clever algorithms!

Can I learn this in school?

Yes! We offer courses in bioinformatics at both the undergraduate level (CS 425) and the graduate level (CS 525). Both offer an introduction to the field, and do not require any background in biology. For those interested in research, my lab focuses on using machine learning to predict various properties of biological molecules. See the Projects section of this website.

Acknowledgements: An early version of this page was written with Jeremy Hyrkas.