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Bioinformatics

  • GU Possibilities
    • The first graduate of Gannon's bioinformatics program was offered an internship at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, and subsequently enrolled as a Ph.D. student at SUNY Buffalo.
    • Another bioinformatics student was offered a summer internship with the National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C. The student was honored with the "Exceptional Summer Student Award of 2010." This student is currently working as an associate bioinformatics developer at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
    • A third bioinformatics student is continuing advanced studies in the bioinformatics master's degree program at Johns Hopkins University.

    You Will Learn

    The bioinformatics (BINF) program is the only undergraduate academic program in the discipline in the region. Our BINF program provides a flexible curriculum for students who will receive tailored, interdisciplinary training.

    Over the past few decades, major advances in molecular biotechnology and computer hardware/software have changed the way pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies organize their research and development activities. An explosive growth in biological information requires an individual trained in bioinformatics to organize, analyze and understand biological information.

    Bioinformatics (BINF) is a new scientific discipline merging biology, biotechnology and computer science into a broad- based field. Bioinformatics manipulates genetic, molecular and organism data to answer important biological and medical questions. Students are usually involved in cutting- edge research projects.

    You Will Experience

    Bioinformatics majors are encouraged to complement their academic curriculum with the experiential learning provided by an internship. Internship opportunities exist at organizations such as:

    • biotechnology companies
    • Genentech
    • government agencies
    • insurance companies
    • National Institutes of Health
    • research institutions
    • The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center

    You Will Achieve

    Because the bioinformatics program is highly data-driven, graduates can choose from among a wide range of career paths in high-demand fields. Such opportunities include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • biotechnology companies
    • food scientists
    • law enforcement agencies
    • medical doctors in epidemiology and other specialties
    • pharmaceutical companies
    • public health officials
    • sociologists

    You Will Earn

    Salaries in the industry vary depending on the location and type of organization.

    • Starting salary: $48,700
    • Mid-career salary: $84,000

    All salary information is compiled from data gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) and/or PayScale (payscale.com).  

    You Will Study

    Example Course Descriptions

    The BINF program at Gannon provides flexible tailored education. In the first two years, students receive inter- disciplinary training from multiple departments. In their junior and senior years, students can extend their interest and strengths in either biology or computer science. Highlighted courses include:

    BINF 200: Bioinformatics Tools

    Analysis of biological molecules and software tools is the focus in this course. Students retrieve and interpret bio- information from the Internet and database and learn how to use various tools to solve problems.

    BINF 300: Bioinformatics Programming

    In this course, students learn computational techniques for solving scientific problems focusing on applications in bioinformatics and computational biology. The student develops the ability to convert quantitative problems into computer programs.

    BINF 400: Research in Bioinformatics

    This course includes reading and research on a specific topic in computational sciences and informatics chosen and completed under the guidance of a faculty member, resulting in an acceptable technical report.

    Liberal Studies Core

    The Liberal Studies Core Curriculum is one reflection of Gannon University's commitment to its Catholic identity. The Core's design offers students a defined, integrated, shared experience as the foundation for their undergraduate program.