Science of the Century

The field of bioinformatics has great potential and future for biology students with exceptional computational skills.

BIOINFORMATICS is the new destination for scores of biology students envisaging a keen interest in computers and software. As traditional branches of biology, such as Botany and Zoology took a beating from Genetics, Microbiology, Biotechnology and Molecular Biology ; there emerged the science of the century, bioinformatics, which is a combination of biology and computer science. In other words, it uses computer technology to manage the quantum of biological information.

Emergence

Thanks to the Human Genome Project (HGP) and various other subsequent projects, bioinformatics made a spectacular debut a decade ago. Back then biologists would not have believed that this serendipitous area could emerge as a discipline in biology. The deluge of biological information from these projects quickly placed a premium on individuals with the skills to work on the interface between molecular biology and computer science. Thus, it opened by vistas for those who are interested in both biology and computers.

All about bioinformatics....

Bioinformatics encompasses `genomics', the study of genes and its functions. Supercomputers, vast databases and complex software are used to collect, assemble and analyse the information generated by sequencing the code of life.

The genetic information is the key to understand genes and their functioning in the billions of living cells within us. Making sense of the genes gives us a clue to how we function in health and what goes wrong when we contract disease; why some people are allergic to certain drugs and others are not. This is where bioinformatics comes into play-- in helping us make sense of the gene functioning.

Eligibility

Typically, bioinformaticians are either biologists with computer skills or computer professionals with a serious interest in biology. A strong demand exists today for individuals with interdisciplinary training in both biology and computer sciences, not to forget multiple years of programming and database development experience. The select few with a Ph.D in bioinformatics often end up heading bioinformatics departments or programmes at various universities.

In India however, the course is offered only as an advanced post- graduate diploma, in select universities. Science graduates, postgraduates or Ph.Ds with specialisation in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Microbiology, Structural Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, Neurosciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Food Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics are eligible to apply for this course. Computer scientists, IT professionals and software engineers with a background in specialised tools and database programmes are eligible. too.

Work & skill sets

Bioinformaticians perform two critical roles:

* Develop new computational tools exemplifying novel algorithms and analytic techniques

* Apply existing tools to achieve new insights about molecular biology.

Skills include

* Knowledge of UNIX, the operating system used for many computational biology programmes

* Good grasp of the concept of relational databases, the heart of bioinformatics

* Skill with Structured Query Language (SQL), to query databases

* Programming skills such as C, Perl and JAVA

* Domain expertise in sequence-analysis programmes like Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs)

* Web skills such as writing Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

Career possibilities

Apart from positions in the academic and pharmaceutical industry, the typical job assignments include systems analyst, software engineer, applications analyst, database designer or administrator, network designer or administrator, programmer, technical support, marketing, systems engineer, and others associated with the field of bioinformatics.Biotech industries and premier scientific institutions like Celera Genomics, CuraGen and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology are a few well- known names.Here are some specific areas that fall within the scope of bioinformatics:

Sequence assembly

The genomic sequence is assembled through a complex process of `stitching' together the fragments of DNA. This requires the use of sophisticated computer-based methods, which can be carried out by a bioinformatician.

Database design and maintenance

Many pharmaceutical companies maintain private data banks of gene sequences and other biological information, which need constant updating. This task of designing and maintaining of the complex databases is an important part of bioinformatics.

Gene analysis

A gene has two distinct regions - one that produces a protein and another that regulates the production of the protein. After sequencing the DNA fragment, which makes up for the gene, it is essential to understand its functioning. This involves locating regions of the gene that produce the protein and those that control it. All of this falls under the purview of bioinformatics.

Proteomics

It is the study of the portion of the genome that is expressed in particular cells. This requires cutting-edge technology, such as the use of micro arrays (DNA-on-a-chip), which allows the expression level of thousands of genes in a sample to be quickly determined. Bioinformaticians work with the scientists to mine this data that is of significance to the pharmaceutical industry.

Pharmacogenomics

Drug sensitivity is another area of concern and is a result of a variant `alphabet' in the DNA sequence. Databases on these variations are rapidly evolving and play a critical role in the future of drug development. Bioinformaticians collect, analyse and apply this crucial data.

Institutions

There are several universities in India, which offer an advanced diploma in bioinformatics. Some of them are the University of Pune, Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Madurai Kamaraj University.The field of bioinformatics has great potential and future for biology students with exceptional computational skills.

However, the fledgling field will flourish with the right kind of people to build, organise and manage the complex biological information systems.

NAYANA CHEKKA,

nayana.hyd@careercommunity.co.in