Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. What is Computational Biology
   1. What is the role of a computational biologist
3. What is Bioinformatics
4. What is the difference between computational biology and bioinformatics?
5. How to become a Computational Biologist?
6. How to become a skilled Bioinformatics Scientist?
7. Conclusion

Here’s your chance to get well-versed with the crux of computational biology in only a span of a few minutes.

The sole reason behind talking about the same is the diversity of career opportunities and a better future for India. Computational Biology successfully aids in sequencing the human genome and, in addition, builds an inch-perfect human brain model, plans a coherent 3D structure of the genome and represents biological systems.

The scope of computational biology is immense, and it is foreseen as an integral part of the health care routine. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reckons a pinnacle growth rate for computer and research scientists of about 15%. Experts also state a whooping count of jobs awaiting 2020 to 2030. The disciplined and defined field is the future of modern medicine. With a defined direction in computational biology and bioinformatics, you will be ready to accomplish the much-desired international prospects.

What is Computational Biology?

The domain involves a brief study of ecological, biological, behavioural and social systems with an accurate application of computation and mathematical modelling along with intricate data analytics. The biology computation broadly involves an underpinning in chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, statistics, biophysics, genetics, ecology, genomics and computer science. It is a large intersection of biology, data and computer science.

What is the role of a Computational Biologist?

The theory of computational biology and chemistry explains the ease it can provide in a contemporary biological experiment. As the field continues to grow, the scope and demand for a computational biologist also escalate immensely. With some surprisingly pleasant advancements, it is a sure shot assurance of great job prospects in the coming years. A computational biologist is not just restricted to the pharmaceutical space; it goes beyond.

Roles and responsibilities of a Computational Biologist:

• Analyse data and plan the analysis on the basis of suitable software.
• Have the skills for computer software and implement it accordingly.
• Choose an appropriate tool for data that uses equations and algorithms.
• Use the analysis to create a program.
• Make use of the scientific study to carry out testing to ensure the data is processed correctly.
• Create a data model which is understandable.
• Put forward the results.

What is Bioinformatics?

To begin with, computation biology and bioinformatics go hand-in-hand; but they are not the same.

It is a process that involves categorising, grouping, storing and analysing all the biological information in reference to genomics and genetics. The comprehensive study involves sound biological statistics resulting from deep integration and exploration of the data. The study comprises a cheminformatic comparison of protein which helps largely to enhance personalised medicine. All the structured information and data sequence is used to predict protein function.

Although bioinformatics and computational biology are interrelated, they differ variedly in the requirements they address to.

What is the difference between computational biology and bioinformatics?

Knowing the difference is the first step towards adopting a career in this space. Indeed both the fields seek a consolidated biological understanding. To put the difference simply, computational biology is a procedure of applying the collected biodata. On the other hand, bioinformatics is concerned with the process of collecting biodata. So yes, there are variances, some similarities and a dash of overlap. Here are some major parameters to give you a gist of both.

1. Description

The major difference between computational biology and bioinformatics leans largely on both the actual significance and implication.

Bioinformatics is an exercise to interpret biological problems with the help of a study. Master in the bioinformatics space establish the algorithm, analytical model, program and code. Once scrutinised, the information is then stored. The detailed study includes various aspects like the pharmacological components, human genome, biochemical proteins and more. The collected data then sets a base for computational biology.

Here comes the next stage, and that is computational biology. It is crucial and can be done right only when the raised issue in bioinformatics has accurate stats. The process of computational biology is purely concerned with the solution of the complication. At this stage, experts carry out the three most important tasks – research, development and application. An elaborate model is built to address the crucial challenges discovered during the bioinformatic analysis.

2. Software and tools

The software and tools of both vary. Some of the authentic and dependable bioinformatic tools include – The National Center for Toxicological Research List of Tools and Bioinformatics Software and Tools. Speaking about computational biology, Nature Computational Biology Tools and PLOS Computational Biology Software are decisive.

3. Implementation

The explored data in the field of bioinformatics is always rich-information and meticulous. The vast subject can vary anywhere from climate change to green technologies, DNA and amino acid sequences, and antibiotics to neuropharmacology. The information is exercised for drug development, molecular medicine, artificial intelligence, forensic analysis, biotechnology, gene therapy and many more.

The biology computation is used to determine the right vaccination strain or prepare a toolkit for various other tasks. The application of computational biology includes genetic analysis, text mining, radiotherapy, cellular biology, deep learning, and preventative medicine, and the list is pretty extensive.

How to become a Computational Biologist?

Being a computational biologist certainly requires a degree with some specialisation and a wide-ranging experience with some signature projects at Atria University. Here’s a brief synopsis of what you will learn with us.

• • To begin with, in-depth knowledge of computational biology and chemistry. Getting an understanding of protein sampling, some genetic specifics, and a general check of the biological process is a required craft.
  • It is paramount to know how to organise the scientific data.  
  • An intensive knowledge of mathematical principles like algorithm development and statistical processes is essential.
  • One must learn how to deal with a large amount of data and process it with the help of operating systems.
  • To be a computational biologist, get familiar with different computer programming languages like Python, Java, Ruby, C++ and MATLAB.
    • To begin with, in-depth knowledge of computational biology and chemistry. Getting an understanding of protein sampling, some genetic specifics, and a general check of the biological process is a required craft.
    • It is paramount to know how to organise the scientific data.
    • An intensive knowledge of mathematical principles like algorithm development and statistical processes is essential.
    • One must learn how to deal with a large amount of data and process it with the help of operating systems.
    • To be a computational biologist, get familiar with different computer programming languages like Python, Java, Ruby, C++ and MATLAB.
    • Acquiring data analysis skills is a prerequisite.
    • A computational biologist must know how to deal with an unusual result.
    • Having great communication skills is always underestimated. When you step into the scientific space, you must work towards it so you can share the results rightly via your writings.
    • The ability of proficient decision making must be on point.
    • Lastly, you must always stay updated with the new techniques. The field of computational biology is progressing rapidly, and there is no room for being outdated.

How to become a skilled Bioinformatics Scientist?

Getting yourself a master’s degree in bioinformatics is definitely the only way to get there. A love of science with some specialised skills in the space can assuredly give you the much-desired success.

• Being well-versed with statistical skills is salient. You should be well-grounded in using statistical software systems and know-how to perform analysis.
• Get yourself hooked on machine learning tools and programming languages.
• Intricate knowledge of cancer biology, genetics and molecular biology is a must. 
• A complete understanding of genetics and genomics is a must.
• It is important to understand next-generation sequencing, high-throughput sequencing, and computational genomics.
• A brief insight on database management will help big time.
• You cannot go without having some technical bioinformatic skills.
• Lastly, having professional curiosity is only for the betterment.

Spare a few seconds to know more:

One Last Thought:

Interesting Fact: The average salary of a biologist in the United States is about $82,262 per year.

The scope in the science field is clearly towering and not hidden anymore. With an anticipated up stick in the computational biology and bioinformatics space, get ready to look forward to a better tomorrow. Job profiles in the concerning field like bioinformatics technicians, computer and information research scientists and biomedical engineers are positively taking home a fat salary.

Atria University prepares you with the fundamentals from scratch and will engage you in the signature projects to provide an up-close experience. We believe in going way beyond the classrooms.