A new major, bio-informatics, may soon be available to undergraduates in the natural and applied sciences.
Bio-informatics, which uses advanced computing techniques to process the large data sets like those produced by sequencing the human genome, requires that scientists be adept in multiple disciplines and able to utilize new and sophisticated technology.
Their proposal was formally submitted to the Committee on Educational Policy and is awaiting a decision, which the planners expect in June.
If approved, the bio-informatics program hopes to start enrolling students in fall 2001. Only about 50 students are expected to qualify.
The teaching in the program reflects the interdisciplinarian nature of the field and would be done by professors within the four sponsored departments as well as professors in math and physics.
UCSD has a graduate program in the field, but supporters believe that an undergraduate program offers students better preparation.
“”Much of biology will turn quantitative in the next decade,”” said Suresh Subramani, professor of biology and co-chair of the steering committee for the bio-informatics major proposal.
“”We need a new set of individuals with new training in biology, math, computer science, physics and chemistry whose interdisciplinary study will deal with the information and its applications.””
The current challenge for bio-informaticians is to take the raw data about the sequence in the DNA and translate it into the function of the protein that it encodes.
The demand for qualified scientists is so high that researchers such as Craig Ventor, CEO of Celera Genomics, often pay $100,000 as the starting salary for bio-informaticians.
“”And they can’t get enough at that level,”” Subramani said.
When initially presented, the bio-informatics program “”would have taken five years to complete with the college requirements factored in, but it has been changed to accommodate the college requirements making it like any other four-year major at UCSD,”” said Jenn DeCamp, A.S. commissioner of academic affairs.
Because it is not yet billed as a full-fledged major, students have to petition for the specialization after being admitted to UCSD under another major.
For instance, students enrolled as biochemistry majors have to petition their department to transfer to the bio-informatics degree.
“”We have been working over the last year to establish the curriculum and set the administrative structure for the bio-informatics program,”” Subramani said.
