Applied Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary life sciences domain that develops methods and software tools for storing, retrieving, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting biological data. Although often perceived as a pure technical domain, based on mathematics, informatics and computer sciences, an important bioinformatics subdomain deals with applied research into improving life-sciences research by using appropriate experimental approaches.

With the introduction of big data by the omics technologies, it becomes increasingly clear that only research approaches that cover the whole research chain from optimal design for experimentation to adequate computing infrastructure are effective. Also, the overwhelming complexity of biological systems demands not only a more collaborating as well as interdisciplinary approach, it also means that the experimental approaches in life sciences are drastically transforming.

As such, applied bioinformatics deals with topics such as, design-for-experimentation, multidisciplinary collaboration, data and knowledge integration, advanced visualization of results, e-science methods, and so on. The aim here remains to improve biological knowledge, which renders applied bioinformatics an enabling science.

Research lines Applied Bioinformatics:

• Genome-wide biomarkers
• Data-analysis workflows
• Data interpretation environments

Former research lines Applied Bioinformatics:

• Design for experimentation