Bioinformatics is an exciting, new interdisciplinary field that uses computers to interpret the data produced by the latest technologies in biology. In 2002, Canisius became the first area college to establish an undergraduate bioinformatics major.
The Canisius Advantage
The “biology” in bioinformatics refers to experiments that generate the data. “Informatics” is the science of the information and how it is manipulated, formatted and stored. It is an ideal choice for students who are interested in learning about and applying mathematical and computational techniques to solve problems in biology. Students are also required to examine the ethical and social issues related to the rapid proliferation of biological data.
The bioinformatics curriculum incorporates educational robotics to demonstrate basic scientific concepts. Canisius' robotics laboratory consists of 35 new robots, including 20 Lego Mindstorms, six Sony AIBO robotic dogs, six Handy Boards and three ER-1s (Evolution Robotics).
All majors take core courses for a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, math, statistics and computer science. Further electives allow bioinformatics majors to earn a concentration in biology, physics, math or computer science. Seniors finish with a capstone course, a team-based approach to problem identification and resolution.