Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
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Eva Top, BCB Program Director (258 Life Sciences South 83844-3051; phone 208-885-5015; bcb@uidaho.edu; www.uidaho.edu/cogs/bcb). BCB Faculty: Bert Baumgaertner, Celeste Brown, Erkan Buzbas, Brian Dennis, Larry Forney, James Foster, Peter Fuerst, Frank Gao, Luke Harmon, Robert Heckendorn, Paul Hohenlohe, Jamil Hasan, Paul Joyce, Alexander Karasev, Stephen Krone, Stephen Lee, Christopher Marx, Mark McGuire, Craig Miller, Gordon Murdoch, Scott Nuismer, Christine Parent, Matt Powell, Christopher Remien, Benjamin Ridenhour, Ron Robberecht, Barrie Robison, Matthew Settles, Terence Soule, Jack Sullivan, David Tank, Eva Top, Lisette Waits, Holly Wichman, Michelle Wiest, Christopher Williams, Marty Ytreberg.
The interdisciplinary program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology is administered by the College of Science.
Bioinformatics and computational biology are new disciplines emerging from the application of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. They explain the vast quantities of biological data that modern molecular techniques have made available. The advent of high throughput data acquisition in the biological sciences, an example of which is the recent completion of a draft of the entire human and mouse genomes, has created far more data than can be analyzed with current techniques. In order to understand and use these data to improve human health, natural and agricultural resource management, and to simply understand the natural world better—will require new techniques and tools. Moreover, industries dependent on that understanding, such as health, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and forestry will require workers who understand this new knowledge. This is what the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB) degree program provides.
The University of Idaho offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB). The BCB program is offered on-campus in Moscow at the University of Idaho, and is administered by the College of Science. A degree in BCB will require coursework and practical experience in biology, mathematics, statistics, and computer science. The focus of the degree will be on learning to develop and use computational and mathematical tools to analyze biological data.
BCB is a highly interdisciplinary program. It requires students and faculty to bridge biological, computational, and mathematical disciplines. BCB faculty members are drawn from nine departments from the Colleges of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Engineering, Natural Resources, and Science, and from the WWAMI program. . These faculty members are available to serve on BCB graduate student committees.
A graduate degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology from UI prepares a student for a lifetime of discovery. It enables the graduate to advance the state of the art, not merely to keep up with it. The graduate program develops the student's critical thinking, investigatory, and expository skills. He or she will acquire the methodological skills to resolve important open problems and tackle challenging new projects. The student will learn to present problems and solutions, both orally and in writing.
Courses
See course description section for courses in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB).