Study bioinformatics?

Want to contribute to cancer research or solve the problem of salmon lice? Want to be part of the development of new biotechnology? Want to learn how to study biological and medical processes? Come to Bergen! The bioinformatics group in Bergen has since 2002 been the leader of the national bioinformatics platform, and since 2015 is also leading a national research school within the field.

Bioinformatics is the application and development of methods from computer science to solve challenges within molecular biology and medicine. Modern molecular biology generates large amounts of data and is therefore highly dependent on advanced computer science. For example, today it is possible to map the genome (the combined genetic material) for a given individual. Increasingly better bioinformatics approaches have to be developed to organize and analyze such data, and to find connections between genes, lifestyle and diseases. Bioinformatics is also central in the study of how proteins function in an organism and in the development of new medicines, for example through the discovery and optimization of new enzymes.

As a bioinformatics student in Bergen you will gain solid expertise within traditional computer science topics such as programming, algorithms, searching and machine learning. You will also obtain knowledge about the central challenges within molecular biology and medicine in order be able to develop and apply the relevant computer science approaches.

The study also covers how methods from bioinformatics can contribute to solving challenges in related research fields. This makes you attractive for positions within research, but also for positions requiring ICT or data science competence in the public and private sector.