Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Wednesday, Apr 03, 2002
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Wednesday, Apr 03, 2002 |
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eWorld
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Bio-tech & Genetics A career in genes Ambar Singh Roy
IT'S often described as an exciting and exploding new world. A world where one is witness to the fusion of high-powered computing and biotechnology and biological sciences. Indeed, bioinformatics has emerged as a preferred career option for many. Top-of-the-line technical institutes in India and abroad are gearing to provide specialised education in bioinformatics. In a nutshell, bioinformatics deals with the creation of databases, data analyses, data mining and modelling. Data is captured not just from printed material but also from network resources. While databases in bio-sciences are generally in multimedia form organised in relational database models, modelling is done not only on a single biological molecule but also on multiple systems, thereby necessitating the use of high-performance computing systems. The discipline involves the use of advances in areas such as computer science, information science, computer and information technology and communication technology to solve complex problems in life sciences, especially biotechnology. Advances in IT are being used to access the ever-increasing information in biology and biotechnology. Says Prof Satyahari Dey of the Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, "One cannot understate the growing importance of bioinformatics. It is much more than just the application of IT to biological sciences. It is the collection, storage, collation and retrieval of primary and secondary data and its use through the network.'' According to him, it is a biological science up to the point where information on genome sequencing is gathered. Thereafter, it is information technology. Such are the prospects in the field that the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development has decided to introduce stand-alone, post-graduate degree courses in bioinformatics in renowned institutes across the country. Existing diploma courses offered by some institutes will also be strengthened and upgraded. Dey feels India could well leverage its traditional strengths in IT and emerge as a major global player in bioinformatics. "We have demonstrated to the world our strengths in the field of IT. There is no reason why we cannot be leaders in bioinformatics too.'' Says Arindam Dutta, Advisor to IIT-KGP's Science & Technology Entrepreneurs Park, "The scope in the field of bioinformatics is vast. The challenge before the education system is to put in place a strong faculty and in adequate numbers.'' According to Prof Ashoke Ranjan Thakur of Jadavpur University in Kolkata, modern IT tools are increasingly being used to "solve horrendously complicated mathematical equations'' in genome sequencing. "These IT tools help us obtain nuggets of information from disorganised databases. Bioinformatics can work wonders in areas such as healthcare and drug discovery.'' The importance of bioinformatics has prompted representatives from industry to request Jadavpur University to offer specialised degree courses in the subject. "We are also positioning ourselves for appropriate manpower training in bioinformatics,'' Prof Thakur says. Software packages have been specifically designed for large-scale research projects in bioinformatics. These packages incorporate scaleable command-line user interface modules and provide dozens of commands to help the user to quickly implement standard sequence analysis protocols and design new investigations. Also gaining in importance are software tools for genomic computing in the field of pharmacogenomics. No doubt, several IT companies are roping in specialists in bioinformatics into their marketing teams. In fact, with the demand for bioinformatics specialists on the upswing, the field has emerged as a preferred career option. And with major pharmaceutical companies associating themselves with genome sequencing projects, the pattern seems to be falling in place for bioinformatics.
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