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Learn bioinformatics with online courses and programs

Biological data can be used to broaden our understanding of health and manage disease. It’s important to effectively store and analyze this data to achieve positive outcomes. Learn bioinformatics with online courses delivered through edX.
Bioinformatics | Introduction Image Description

What is bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics is the use of computers and technology to store, study, and analyze biological genetic data, such as DNA or amino acid sequences.Footnote 1 Bioinformaticians create and use programmatic tools that filter massive amounts of biological data, develop sequencing methods, and analyze sequences for meaningful trends and insights. When organized properly, biological data can help scientists, programmers, and researchers expand their knowledge of health, diseases, and medical care.

For example, bioinformatics analysis is used in genome sequencing, in which raw data is collected from biological samples, such as blood. DNA sequencing like this can help clinicians make rare diagnoses and track infectious organisms.Footnote 2

The Human Genome Project was one of the first large scale bioinformatics efforts where an international group of researchers spent 13 years figuring out how to generate the first sequence of the human genome.Footnote 3

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Bioinformatics course curriculum

An online bioinformatics course can teach learners how to identify and handle biological and genetic data. This knowledge can have many potential applications, including disease research, genome analysis, medicinal development, and more.

A foundational course in bioinformatics and biological data may cover:

  • Understanding how biological data is collected and processed

  • Using biomedical big data resources such as TCGA, G-DOC, and UNIPROT

  • Analyzing genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data with online tools

  • Finding the value of big data in biomedical research and clinical practice

  • Creating bioinformatic algorithms

More technical courses may be data science-focused, teaching learners about topics such as string processing and pattern matching. Computer science and programming skills can be useful for the development of algorithms that conduct genomic sequencing or statistical analysis of biological data. A bioinformatics curriculum may also cover programming languages such as C++ or Python and software development.

Consider how online learning can help you meet your goals. edX offers learners a variety of educational pathways to upskill, including specialized boot camps and courses.  Learners interested in more comprehensive programs can also pursue bachelor's degrees or, for more experienced individuals, master’s degrees in a variety of subjects

Explore bioinformatics jobs

Bioinformatics influences a wide range of research and clinical areas. Understanding how to collect, study, and analyze biological data is a useful skill in a variety of careers and industry areas. 

Some examples of careers that could use bioinformatics research and programming skills include:Footnote 4

  • Bioinformatician

  • Research scientist

  • Bioinformatics engineer

  • Computational biologist

  • Biostatistician

  • Geneticist

  • Epidemiologist

Your area of interest, prior experience, and goals will determine what career and educational path makes the most sense to pursue. For example, someone interested in biology and epidemiology will need to meet different qualifications for jobs in those fields than someone working primarily in engineering.

How to become a bioinformatics analyst online

Bioinformaticians and professionals in related careers use a variety of skills depending on their focus and job title. More research-based positions will likely require topic-specific knowledge, while programming careers could ask for expertise in coding languages and algorithms. 

Whatever your interest, experience, and goals, there are courses and pathways available to help you. If you are interested in adding new skills to your resume, explore how online learning opportunities such as a coding boot camp can help you build new skills. Every role is different. For example, some employers may ask for a bachelor’s degree in computer science while others may require a master’s degree in data science. Before setting down a specific learning pathway, research the roles that you are interested in and align your coursework with your professional aspirations.

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Frequently asked questions

A bioinformatics analyst works with large amounts of biological data to gain insights into diseases and genetics. They might also be referred to as a bioinformatician, biostatistician, or bioinformatics scientist depending on their area of expertise and specific industry. Bioinformatics analysts could work for the government or private sector, and might focus on things like epidemiology or genomics.

Bioinformatics analysts use a combination of scientific, computational, and math skills to collect, clean, and understand biological data. For example, a bioinformatics analyst might be responsible for preparing datasets for analysis using scripting skills or developing the programmatic analysis tools using Python or C++. These professionals often have the skills to understand how to best process data while also analyzing it and communicating results with team members.

Yes. Bioinformatics courses are available online for all kinds of learners, from beginners looking to become familiar with the topic to experienced professionals who want to upskill or gain advanced knowledge in specific areas. An online bachelor’s or master’s degree can also be a way to gain a large skill set and deep knowledge of the subject.

Bioinformatics uses data analysis and programming to collect, store, and analyze biological data. A bioinformatician or analyst might be responsible for writing the code that scrapes data into a database, cleans and processes the information, and analyzes the data for statistical findings.

The length of time to complete a bioinformatics course depends on the course provider, flexibility offered, and the skills learned. For example, a self-paced, introductory course might take a learner as few as a couple weeks to complete. However, a more involved and structured bioinformatics course could take months to finish.

Learning bioinformatics requires gaining an understanding of a variety of technical skills, including programming, statistics and data analysis, and biology. How hard it is to learn these things will depend on each learner's prior experience and skill level, as well as the resources they have available to devote to learning new skills.