Bioinformatics
Master Degree - School: Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences - Access type: Open with curriculum evaluation
Lingua: Italian
General Information
o Class: LM-6 (Ministerial Decree No 270 of 2004)
o Course type: Master Degree
o Duration: 2 years
o Access type: Open with curriculum evaluation
o School: Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences
o Department: Biology
o Course code: J 61
Description and Teaching Objectives
A Master Degree in Bioinformatics aims at training professional researchers skilled in biology and computer science with a high cultural and methodological profile. Staff with interdisciplinary experience capable of developing new methods of analysis as well as drawing information from existing databases are strongly required in the field of biomedical research.
As a matter of fact, they can contribute to the understanding of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data to unravel the basic mechanisms of life and protect human health. Students holding a Bachelor's degree in biological (i.e. biologists and biotechnologists) and non-biological (i.e. computer engineers, software engineers and physicists) subjects can enroll into this course.
Such student categories can choose between two curricula providing complementary paths (strong computer science classes for students with a background in biology and strong biology classes for non-biologists) as well as a common path i.e. advanced classes of Bioinformatics, Biology, Biomedical Statistics and personalized medicine.
About a third of the total amount of hours is devoted to an individual research project to be developed within one of the Department research groups. Students of a Master Degree in Bioinformatics enjoy a dedicated bioinformatics classroom, which is used for some classes but is also available for students to study and work on their Degree projects..
The course includes a variety of advanced courses, e.g. Bioinformatics, Genomics, Biostatistics, Synthetic Biology and Translational Medicine, and leads to a uniformed, single degree. The course was set up building on similar success stories in a number of countries, such as UK, Germany, U.S., Australia, Israel, hence leveraging the expertise of numerous and strong research groups within in the School of Sciences.
Career Opportunities
Graduates shall have professional knowledge enabling them to access the labour market, developing their careers in a variety of fields.They may operate as professionals after registering at the Italian National Order of Biologists; they can be involved in projects of basic and applied research at universities and research institutes - both public and private – as well as in biotechnology, pharmaceutical or food and agricultural firms.
Bioinformaticians can perform multiple roles and functions, such as:
promoting and developing scientific and technological innovation both in research institutions and in the private sector; managing and implementing biological databases; managing services in areas involving the biotechnology industry, e.g. in laboratories testing certification and biological controls; monitoring environmental services in National Health Service structures; managing and designing innovative technologies in the field of Computer Science applied to medicine and biology (databases of medical and biological interest); implementing bioinformatics methods in various fields of biology and medicine at molecular level.
Among these the most important ones are: genome engineering, modified proteins and innovative pharmaceuticals design, pharmacogenomics, personalised medicine, phylogeny and evolution studies at molecular level in order to deepen our knowledge of and protect biodiversity.
Graduates can find work in computer centres, laboratories operating fields such as: biomedicine, biotechnology biopharmaceuticals, molecular biology, personalised medicine, agri-food, pharmaceuticals, environment and bio-nanotechnology; health-care organisations; chemical, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries; public and private institutions and research organisations.
Web References and Contacts
School Website: http://www.scienze.uniroma2.it
Course Website: http://bioinformatica.uniroma2.it/LMBioinformatica/
Coordinator:
Prof. Mattia Falconi
Tel: + 39 7259 4025
E-mail: falconi@uniroma2.it
Degree didactic secretariat:
Mrs. Anna Garofalo
Tel. +39 06 7259 4806
Email: anna.garofalo@uniroma2.it