Course package in Bioinformatics

Last changed: 26 January 2024

The department of Animal Biosciences (formerly Animal Breeding and Genetics) offers a one term long course package in Bioinformatics at Master's level.

Bioinformatics as a multidisciplinary research field develops and applies tools for the analysis of large data sets produced by modern high-throughput biology. This can include for example, data from a single organism in multiple environments, or conversely all organisms in a single environment. Bioinformatics can include the structure of large biological molecules, the genetics of diseases, the spread of genetic change in a single tissue, and improvement of useful breeds. You can be part of a revolution to fight climate change and desertification, and build resiliency and biodiversity.

Bioinformatics as a discipline joins Biology and Informatics; it develops and applies new methods based on deep and other machine learning methods, to puzzle together the big and complex data amounts (Big Data) produced  by life science research, for example in medicine, agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, breeding, and others.

The first course Genome Analysis (BK0002) covers theoretical aspects as well as a laboratory project to better understand the structure, evolution, and function of eukaryotic genomes. The applications focus on animals, however the techniques are broadly applicable to other organisms. This course in in the first half of the autumn semester.

The second course is Bioinformatics (BK0001), a long-running and popular introduction to the topic. It includes both theory and practical application of bioinformatical techniques, with an emphasis on agricultural data. This course in in the second half of the autumn semester.

Both courses benefits from many years of pedagogical development on the part of the coordinators and instructors. The teaching is performed by a highly diverse team of faculty, and both courses are also as well attended by PhD students.  

After the course package with the two courses, the student can select an advisor and execute a 30 ECTS thesis project in Bioinformatics. The combination provides the students the possibility to apply for a Master of Science in Bioinformatics (60 credits) or, by choosing additional relevant courses, a Master of Science in Bioinformatics (120 credits). The methods will be bioinformatical, and can be applied in any of the many applied and basic research areas at SLU. We have educational and research collaborations on every continent, as well as platforms serving academia and the agricultural sector. 

Courses are in English, and the course package is thus for both Swedish and international students. 

Application opens March 15, 2024 and closes April 15, 2024. Apply at www.universityadmissions.se

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