In modern biology, more and more data is being generated faster and faster. While the Human Genome Project was a joint effort by the global scientific community, just a few years later the DNA sequences of one species after another are being determined. At the same time, the amount of data on the planet's flora and fauna is also growing.
Biological databases are now so large that they can only be managed with the help of bioinformatics. Genes and their function are often no longer analyzed in the laboratory, but on the computer. The tree of life is no longer drawn on paper by Charles Darwin but compiled on the Internet.
In the Bioinformatics specialization, you will get to know the interface where biology and computer science complement each other. In addition to an introduction to biology, you will also learn about physics, chemistry, biochemistry and mathematics - all subjects for which expertise is available in the Computer Science / Technology and Natural Sciences sections. The structures here at the University of Lübeck are unique and guarantee outstanding, genuinely interdisciplinary research and teaching in the field of bioinformatics and biomathematics.
Scientific basics
In addition to a general introduction to bioinformatics and biomathematics, the course begins with the natural sciences: Biology, chemistry, physics.
Genetics
One of the more advanced topics is genome analysis and genetics in general. Whereas computer science initially only had to store and manage data generated by biologists, today bioinformatics algorithms are used to search for genes that cause diseases, for example. Conversely, genetic algorithms make use of ideas from genetics.
Job description
Bio- and information technologies will shape the 21st century. Bioinformaticians have a key role to play at the interface between these technologies. Today, computer scientists mainly work in application areas of computer technology; a sound education in the field of bioinformatics/biomathematics broadens career prospects in the long term.
Study plans
You can find detailed study plans for the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs on the respective pages of our degree program.