Baqai Institute of Information Technology

What is Bioinformatics?
 

Bioinformatics is a new scientific discipline that merges biotechnology and computer science into a broad-based field that is important to all of the biological sciences. It involves research and development of computational tools and approaches for expanding the use of biological, medical, behavioral or health data. Bioinformatics couples with the fundamental biochemistry of organisms with computational analysis, thus providing a vast new insight into biological processes and organisms.

Bioinformatics function

Recent advances in the experimental techniques of molecular biology have resulted in an explosive growth in the availability of molecular data. A bioinformatics not only deals with the representation, analysis, annotation and mining of large databases of protein and genome sequence information but also focuses on the functional analysis of the proteins produced by these genes.

Skills and knowledge

The amount of molecular information that is now being generated is truly "astronomical" and it requires an individual trained in bioinformatics to organize, analyze and understand that information. Scientists in the 21st century will need to learn how to use and develop bioinformatics tools to manipulate molecular and organism data for answering questions of biological relevance.

• A bioinformatics must possess not only a strong grasp of computer science fundamentals, but must also be equally versed with biology and biochemistry.
   

• Bioinformatics professional should have knowledge of introductory programming, data structures, AI algorithms, databases, formal and comparative languages, modeling, simulation, probability and statistics, the WWW, visualization, and human-computer interaction (HCI) issues.
   

• From the discipline of biology, a bioinformatics professional should have working knowledge of at least one of several life sciences fields, including genetics and environmental biology.
   

Who studies Bioinformatics?

Students who have a keen interest in using computer technology to study problems in biological systems are the primary student for the Bioinformatics program. A Bioinformatics student wants to understand

How life works from the molecular level to the whole organism level.   They want to be able to manipulate the protein and DNA information using the latest bioinformatics software and advanced computer hardware platforms.   These students want to be on the cutting edge of science and graduate with "the science degree of the 21st century"!

Applications

Bioinformatics techniques provide information that brings enormous power in areas ranging from disease diagnosis and treatment to evolution, agriculture, and environmental science.

Some of the application areas where Bioinformatics plays key role are Identification of genes responsible for various pathological conditions and genetic disorders. Agriculturally and nutritionally important genes. Genes with applications in pharmaceutical industry The study of structural and functional relationships The identification of targets for drug discovery Work on molecular evolution and genetic relationships.

Career Prospects

Bioinformatics may well be the single fastest-growing specialty in the life sciences. Opportunities for scientists with the right mix of skills in biology, biochemistry and computer science are continuing to grow, with no limit in sight.

Bioinformatics specialists are involved in all aspects of collecting, assembling and analyzing the staggering quantities of information that are being generated by the human genome projects, as well as genome projects for other animals, plants and disease-causing microorganisms.

A BS degree in Bioinformatics provides a student with a foundation for productive work in the biotechnology industry, computer science industry or for further advanced academic study.

Some of the key placements for a Bioinformatics Professionals can be in.

Research Institutes
Universities
Software houses
Pharmaceutical Companies
Hospitals

BS-BI (Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics)

Eligibility 

Recommended Study Plan for BS - (Bioinformatics)

Semester 1 Semester 2   Subject Cr. Hrs.   Subject Cr. Hrs. BI-301 / BI-313 Basic Mathematics  /  Basic Biology 3 BI-302 Discrete Structures 3 BI-303 English Comprehension & Composition 3 BI-304 Pakistan & Islamic Studies 4 BI-305 Chemistry-I 3 BI-306 Biostatistics I 3 BI-307 Introduction to Computing 4(3+1) BI-308 Data Structures & Algorithms 4(3+1) BI-309 Computer Programming 4(3+1) BI-310 Biochemistry-II 3(2+1) BI-311 Biochemistry-I BI-312 Chemistry-II 3 Semester Credits 20 Semester Credits 20 Semester 3 Semester 4   Subject Cr. Hrs.   Subject Cr. Hrs. BI-401 Physics 3 BI-402 Operating Systems 3(2+1) BI-403 Bioinformatics-I 4(3+1) BI-404 Object Oriented Paradigm 4(3+1) BI-405 Technical Report Writing 3 BI-406 Bioinformatics-II 3(2+1) BI-407 Introduction to Software Development 3 BI-408 Molecular Biology-II 3(2+1) BI-409 Molecular Biology-I 3(2+1) BI-410 Digital Logic & Design 4(3+1) BI-411 Differential Equations 3 BI-412 Multivariable Calculus 3   Semester Credits 19   Semester Credits 20 Semester 5 Semester 6   Subject Cr. Hrs.   Subject Cr. Hrs. BI-501 Database Systems 3 BI-502 Visual Programming 3(2+1) BI-503 Networking Fundamentals 3 BI-504 Advance Database Systems 3 BI-505 Biostatistics II 3 BI-506 Internet Programming 3(2+1) BI-507 Software Engineering 3(2+1) BI-508 Computer Graphics 3 BI-509 Microbiology 3 BI-510 Genomics 3(2+1)   Semester Credits 15   Semester Credits 15 Semester 7 Semester 8   Subject Cr. Hrs.   Subject Cr. Hrs. BI-601 Artificial Intelligence 3 BI-602 Project 3 BI-603 Advance Web Engineering 3(2+1) BI-604 Advance Algorithms for Bioinformatics 33 BI-605 Proteomics 3(2+1) BI-606 Special topics in Bioinformatics 3 BI-607 Medical Informatics 3 BI-608 Advance Techniques in Biotechnology 3 BI-609  Data Warehousing & Data Mining 3 BI-610 Neural Networks 3   Semester Credits 15   Semester Credits 15

BIIT reserves the right to change this recommended Study Plan of Studies as and when required.