Bioinformatics anybody??

popinfresh

Ok, I'm interested in going to college to do bioinformatics. Can anybody tell me about it. As in has anybody done, or is doing it? What's the work like, or what is unvolved in working at this. Sorry if this isn't the right thread, I just thought this'd be the best place for replys. But when u think about it I'm sure it'll spark up some sort of sciency biology thing a ma jig discussion

simu

As in computational biology?

I doubt that there would be courses that specialise in this subject availabe at undergraduate level (but searching can't hurt...)

I imagine you would just do a degree in science and then specialise at post-graduate level. You could check the research interests of lecturers in the different universities you are applying to and see if any are doing research in this field... (you can find such info on uni websites, usually)

GuanYin

Maynooth have an undergraduate degree, James McInerny runs the course.

Its an option in DCU Biotechnlogy degree aswell.

popinfresh

Yes that's what I was looking at, COmputational Biology and Bioinformatics in Maynooth. I'm trying to research it a bit. Does anybody know anything? Any information would be appreciated. I know what the couse is about bt does anybody know about the job prospects and the type of work etc..

GuanYin

Work in Ireland is a bit slow, but abroad its the in area, although by the time you graduate the number of trained people may just have caught up with the demand.

Research in Ireland is where most Bioinformatics jobs are with postgraduates earning up to 30K (2-3 times normal) and first year postdocs up to 50K (1.5 times normal). Not sure aborad.

Bioinformatics varies from creating specific program algorithms for gene homology/sequence searches to maintaining databases, molecular modeling and probably alot of stuff I don't know a whole lot about.

kateevanne

Genetics in TCD covers a lot of bioinformatics.

King.Penguin

I was about to say the same thing as Kate. But first I'd like to ask you why you're interested in bioinformatics when you obviously don't know any thing about it. No offence intended.

Vorsprung

Check the date of the OP lads. He's probably halfway through his college course at this stage!

Kevster

I'm currently doing my thesis in Bioinformatics. I have a higher cert in Biology and am in the final year of a Computer Science degree. The majority of courses in this area are in the UK. In Ireland, you will only find Bioinformatics as subject within a course; most likely a Computer Science course.

Bioinformatics is interesting but it gets very very technical and... ...boring, after a while. It incorporates four disciplines - Computer Science, Biology, Mathematics, and Statistics - and it involves maintaining online repository databases. These are databases that store the DNA and amino acid sequences of genes, ORF's (Open reading frames), proteins, and fully-sequenced genomes.

It also involves comparing two or more DNA or amino acid sequences ('Sequence Alignment') to determine their similarity. The extent of similarity between two sequences can then provide evidence of homology or orthology.

You should definately look up BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool), GenBank & EMBL, and BioPerl if you are interested.

Kevin.

DrIndy

who dug this out?

Kevster

Good LORD... ...I just noticed the date it was originally posted too... ...:o

King.Penguin

woops didn't notice