Bioinformatics a well-informed choice
Usha Albuquerque

Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing fields today. A study of biotechnology gives you an entry into a very exclusive and exciting field which encompasses not only subjects like biology, physics, chemistry, but also mathematics and engineering, and has application in every aspect of daily life. Whether it is fighting disease, developing new seeds, or tackling pollution, biotechnology’s use and application ranges from fields like agriculture to industry (food, pharmaceutical, chemical, bioproducts, textiles etc.), medicine, nutrition, environmental conservation, animal sciences etc. making it one of the fastest growing fields. It is both a cutting edge technology and an application science and analysts have predicted that biotechnology will be one of the most important applied sciences of the 21st century.

All in the genes

Bioinformatics is an emerging branch of biotechnology that involves the use of software to utilise information from the vast biological database that is developed by experienced biotechnologists. The mountains of data thrown up by the genome project is being classified, refined and codified through bioinformatics. Genetic permutations and combinations run into trillions. To be useful in creation of new drugs, or in disease diagnostics, the gene sequences have to be converted into databases. Bioinformatics aims to build gene and protein databases. And this brings biotechnology within the ambit of information technology, and hence the label, bioinformatics. And this, like all other branches of Information Technology, is a high-growth area today.

Biotechnology essentially uses the basic ingredients of life to make new products. The term ‘biotechnology’ refers to a mechanism of harnessing the natural chemical process of living organisms to our advantage and use. Every living thing, from the most simple to the most sophisticated, carries a genetic code, or ‘blueprint,’ that determines precisely what traits it will have. Biotechnology is a precise science that enables us to find the most beneficial traits, in terms of added nutrition, increased flavor, or greater ability to fight pests or diseases, and incorporate them into various organisms.

Backing biotech

Bioinformatics is a growing field providing hardware and software support to biotechnology, whether it concerns new drugs, genetically engineered crops or vaccines. Bioinformatics specialists are combining knowledge of Structural Biology, Computational Chemistry, Mathematics and Information Technology to manage the huge information databases. Without it modern biotech would not be able to use the valuable genome information. It took scientists seven years to detect the cystic fibrosis gene – the first ‘disease’ gene. Today, it would take seconds on a computer database.

Already aided by the power of IT, information from the genome project has helped detect more than 30 disease genes, including some for common diseases like breast cancer, colour blindness and epilepsy. Running through genetic variations and the incredibly difficult task of deciphering proteins would be impossible without infotech.

Hardware companies provide equipment to handle the vast quantities of data, while software tools capture, manage and analyse that data. Other improvements in data integration and data mining will be required to competitively transform sequence data into information that is useful for diagnosis and development of new drugs and therapy. Bioinformatics, therefore, plays a key role in the future of genomics, proteomics and biotech education and industry.

Realising the importance of information technology for pursuing advanced research in modern biology and biotechnology, the Department of Biotechnology has set up a Biotechnology Information System (BTIS) with specialised information centres across the country in specified areas of biotechnology. The BTIS secretariat coordinates and develops the research work being carried out at the various biotechnology research institutions, and provides support wherever necessary.

Entering the field

Entry into the field of bioinformatics, as for biotechnology, is through the science stream at the plus-two level which would ideally be physics, chemistry, biology and/ or mathematics. This could be followed through with a graduate degree in biotechnology, or in any of the life sciences, agriculture, veterinary science and animal husbandry, medical science, genetics, pharmacy, microbiology, botany, zoology, chemistry, chemical engineering or technology, agricultural engineering, food technology, human biology and allied subjects. This can be followed by a postgraduate degree, or diploma in bioinformatics.

Training talk

Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Osmania University, the Bioinformatics Centre at Madurai Kamaraj University, University of Pune, the Bio-informatics Institute of India and a few others offer various courses in bioinformatics.

Realising the growing importance of this field, the Government of Karnataka in association with ICICI has established the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB) at Whitefield, Bangalore, which offers masters and Doctoral programmes in Bio-informatics and Applied Biotechnology. The postgraduate diploma course at IBAB intends to provide competence in computational biology/ bioinformatics through lectures and practical training in the areas of basic biology, computer science, statistics and bioinformatics, to graduates from diverse backgrounds. The Institute also carries out research and development activities in the field of bioinformatics and other related areas. So, if you are interested in biology have an inquisitive and innovative mind, 
have good computer skills and willing to work in an area of research and systemic study you can also choose to get into bioinformatics.

Jobs aplenty

Job opportunities in this field are available with research institutions, and with pharmaceutical companies, chemical industries, agriculture and allied industries working to expand the realm of information.

There are several research organisations in the areas of bioscience and biotechnology under CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), ICAR (Indian Council for Agricultural Research) and other such research organisations. These include Center for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Central for Plant Biotechnology, Central Drug Research Institute, National Institute of Nutrition, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, National central for Biology Sciences, Potato Research Institute, Tobacco Research Institute, etc. Pharmaceutical companies, food processing companies, and other companies involved in bioprocess technology such as. Ranbaxy, Cadila, Wockhardt, Pfizer, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory, Sun Pharmaceutical, Lupin Laboratories and others like Monsanto, Shanta Biotechniques, Proagro, Mahyco are also involved in biotechnology research and utilize the professional services of qualified bioinformatists.

Other jobs in this field, include work in universities and colleges either as a faculty member or as a research fellow. There are many universities, which are involved in path-breaking research in the fields of Biological Sciences. Examples are Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indian Institute of Science, IITs, Jadavpur University, Delhi University, University of Hyderabad, Osmani University, Bharatidasan University, Madurai Kamaraj University, University of Mumbai, Banaras Hindu University and others.

Future prospects

Today, biological research has expanded from in-vivo and in-vitro experimentation to include in-silico experimentation, a development that relies heavily on bioinformatics. Three developments have caused bioinformatics to take off: the “tidal wave” of information regarding gene and protein sequences, the availability of mini-and bench-top computers, and the popularization of the Internet. Aside from the draft version of the Human Genome Project, many other organisms’ genome projects are completed or in progress. Most of these relate to plant, animal and human pathogens and such other medically and economically important organisms.

The effort in bioinformatics will include updating sequence information as the gaps in the human genome are completed, annotations of gene sequence and function, correlation with disease and variations across the population. Sophisticated data management and analysis tools have been and need to be developed to mine these data resources. Other improvements in data integration and data mining will be required to competitively transform sequence data into information that is useful for diagnosis and development of new drugs and therapy. Thus, bioinformatics will play a key role in the future of genomics, proteomics and biotech education and industry. Judging by the demand for new formulations for the cure of diseases such as aids, diabetes and cancer, as well as the rapid technological advancements in medical sciences, it is obvious that biotechnology is a career of the future. In India alone, Biotechnology is the fastest growing employment sector after computers and multi-media. Some of India’s biggest industrial groups are entering the biotechnology field, focusing on research in industrial, agricultural and medical biotechnology, clearly signaling a change in the market dynamics of this sector. Reliance Industries is building a new, world class research and development center, near Mumbai, encompassing research laboratories for all disciplines, laboratories for contract research, green house, animal house, a transgenic plant and animal holding facility, and facilities for cell biology research and services and for therapeutic proteins.

In addition, India’s human gene pools offer an exciting opportunity for genomic research. In recent years, the government has funded around 52 centres across the country to collect data relating to the Indian genotype. Given India’s expertise in IT and its tradition of academic excellence in the disciplines of basic sciences, particularly in mathematics, bioinformatics is the ideal subject for Indian science students. Jamshed Tata, a senior scientist with the Medical Research Council at the National Institute of Medical Research, London, has noted “India has a large pool of well-educated and computer literate people. Bio-informatics should be the next success story for Indian science and technology.’’

The writer is a noted career expert