Planning for a Career in Bioinformatics in India?

Career in Bioinformatics in India is a rapidly growing career field and an emerging scientific discipline. If you’re interested and are serious about getting into bioinformatics, there are a few good routes to take, all of which will provide with a solid foundation to having a productive career in this domain.

What is Bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Today’s bioinformatics scientists are in for a real treat. There is high demand for talented, experienced professionals at the cross roads of biology, statistics and computer science as there is notably an endless stream of biological data generated across various sectors including pharma and biotech sectors.

Courses in Bioinformatics:

• Bachelor of Technology in Bioinformatics (B. Tech in Bioinformatics)
• Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics (B. E. in Bioinformatics)
• Master of Science in Bioinformatics (M. Sc. in Bioinformatics)
• Master of Technology in Bioinformatics (M. Tech in Bioinformatics)
• Master of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (M. Phil in Bioinformatics)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics (Ph. D in Bioinformatics)
• Advanced Diploma in Bioinformatics
• Diploma in Bioinformatics
• Post Graduate Diploma in Bioinformatics

Eligibility for Bioinformatics Courses:

The basic educational qualification required to enter a programme in bioinformatics is 10+2 completed with science as a key subject.
Candidates who wish to apply for master’s degree in bioinformatics must complete their bachelor’s in any of the subjects such as B. Sc/B. Sc (Agriculture)/BCS/BE/B. Tech/MBBS/B. Pharma/BAMS/BHMS/B. V. Sc.

Those who wish to go for advanced diploma in bioinformatics; they should have obtained a master’s degree in M. Sc in Life Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biotechnology, Biophysics, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Computer Science or Equivalent), M. Sc (Agriculture) or M.Tech or MBBS.

Bioinformatics Jobs in India:

• Senior Bioinformatics Analyst
• Bioinformatics Trainer
• Bioinformatics Scientist
• Science Technician
• Research Assistant
• Research Associate
• Bioinformatics Software Developer
• Professor

Apart from the above mentioned job types, there are a number of jobs in the field of bioinformatics like Scientific Curator, Gene Analyst, Protein Analyst, Phylogenitist, Data Base Programmer, Computational Biologist, Network Administrator / Analyst, Structural Analyst, Molecular Modeller, Bio-Statistician, Bio-Mechanic, Database Programmer, Cheminformatician, Pharmacogenetician, Pharmacogenomicist, Research Scientist.
Jobs prospects in bioinformatics are in all sectors of biotechnology, pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences, in research institutions, hospitals and industries. A few areas which fall within the scope of bioinformatics are:

• Sequence Assembly
• Database Design and Maintenance
• Sequence Analysis
• Proteomics
• Pharmacogenomics
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Pharmacologist
• Informatics Developer
• Computational Chemist
• Bio-analytics and Analytics

Bioinformatics Institutes in India:

Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore
Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Allahabad
University of Hyderabad
Bioinformatics Institute of India, Noida
Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi