Combine the explosion of genetic information fostered by the Human Genome Project (HGP) with huge advances in computer technology, and the result is the relatively young field of bioinformatics. The news is good for those seeking work in this burgeoning area: Bioinformaticians anticipate plenty of job openings.
Loosely defined, bioinformatics is the management and analysis of biological information contained in databases. An example of such information is the genetic sequencing being generated by HGP. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, seeking ways to take advantage of the new data, are hiring people who are able to manage and interpret the information. And many observers predict that as industrial demand grows, academia will respond in kind with more training programs, which will create even more jobs.
Bioinformatics has its roots in computational biology, a field whose practitioners use computers to develop models of such structures as proteins and genes. A close cousin of ...
