THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BIOINFORMATICS – STRUCTURE, ELIGIBILITY, AND SCOPE

Gone are the days when Engineering and Medical courses were the be-all for students of India. Nowadays, the youth is embarking on daring intellectual journeys and choosing to pursue unique and novel courses. From Humanities to interdisciplinary studies, the rise of unconventional educational paths is rising exponentially in the country. One such interdisciplinary course that is gaining widespread popularity among students is Bioinformatics. It is a course that combines the applications of Biological Information, Computer Sciences, Mathematics, and Statistics. In simple language, Bioinformatics is the study of biological data. It is a fast-emerging field of Science that encompasses software and development tools and aims to speculate the area of genomes meticulously. Understanding genetic diseases, unique adjustments, and modifications in an organism's genes, especially among plant species, is the crux of Bioinformatics. The field has carved out a valuable space within Biology and Biomedical Research.

LEVELS OF BIOINFORMATICS COURSES

You can pursue Bioinformatics at different levels. Certification course in Bioinformatics involves learning the basics of the discipline and teaching the core concepts. You can do it after 10 + 2 classes. Diploma programs in Bioinformatics have a duration of one year and are a good choice for students interested in building their CV and gaining additional knowledge. Bachelors in Bioinformatics is a 3to four-year course that engages with the various science and engineering domains. After a Bachelor's, one can opt to specialize in the discipline by choosing to do a Master’s in Bioinformatics. Ph.D. is another option to look out for in Bioinformatics after completing the Masters. Various universities and colleges offer Bioinformatics at different levels, and the fee structure ranges from INR 10000 to 5 Lakhs per annum. B.Tech, B.E, and B.Sc. are the main branches through which one can study Bioinformatics. You can also opt for Bioinformatics courses online as numerous institutions nowadays offer top-notch programs that you can access from the comfort of your home.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA OF BIOINFORMATICS COURSES

For admission in undergraduate Bioinformatics courses, the candidate must have cleared the 10 + 2 level with a minimum aggregate of 50 percent. The student has to have a fundamental knowledge of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Various institutions also conduct their in-house entrances for admission into Bioinformatics. Usually, the entry into B.Tech in Bioinformatics is made vis-à-vis a national-level entrance exam. Likewise, admission is made through PMT or other equivalent state or national level entrances for medical students.

Suppose you are interested in pursuing a post-graduate in Bioinformatics. In that case, you must have a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, Biology, Agriculture, Veterinary, Fishery Sciences, Pharmacy, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, and so forth. Students who have cleared the MBBS, BAMS, BHMS are also eligible for a master’s course in Bioinformatics. It is noteworthy that countless premier Bioinformatics courses online are also available at the Bachelors and Masters levels.

For admission in the doctoral program of Bioinformatics, a postgraduate degree in Mathematics/Science or Bachelor's degree in Biotech/Bioinformatics is required. The top entrance exams which are conducted for admission to the course in India are:

• Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)
• Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST)
• Bioinformatics National Certification Examination
• (BINC)
• Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific
• Research Entrance Exam (JNCASR)
• CSIR UGC Net exam

Scope of Bioinformatics

We can safely assert that Bioinformatics is an upcoming domain of Science that every young student should be keenly eyeing on. The career prospects associated with the field are immense and rapidly rising. Degree holders of Bioinformatics can find gainful employment in attractive sectors like the pharmaceutical sector, Biotechnology, Biomedical field, Research, Hospitals, and so forth. Various IT companies are voraciously looking for ‘Bio-Informationists’ with top performance in Bioinformatics. Thus, the scope of Bioinformatics is very vast and constantly inflating.

If you want to venture into the realm of Bioinformatics, a certification course in Bioinformatics would be perfect for you. Most of these courses are six months long – an optimal time frame to grasp the basics of the program. After that, you can decide if you want to opt for a Bachelor’s in Bioinformatics, or a certificate will suffice. The best part of short-term programs is that many of them can be done online. It is noteworthy to highlight that Bioinformatics courses online are a great way to get yourself acquainted with the program and contemplate future directions. If you are looking for a Bioinformatics course, make sure to look for an institution that is government accredited and credible. You can look into the institutions' social media accounts and websites to get a better idea of the program structure, eligibility, teaching style, and so forth. Future Medicine Academy – a joint initiative with Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education & Research (SRIHER) – is one of India’s pioneering institutions that offer premier Bioinformatics courses.

Source - Medium