Computational Biology, BAS

The BAS in Computational Biology is an interdisciplinary area that crosses between the biological sciences, math, and computer science. More specifically, it requires that students augment a basic computer science curriculum with courses in biology, chemistry, genetics and statistics. The program is intended to train students in key areas of Computational Biology and is also designed so that a student may focus on those areas of biology in which he or she wishes to specialize. A broad background in computer science, from programming to algorithms to database systems, is also required. This program has a year-long capstone course in computational biology that is co-taught by faculty in computer science, biology and genetics. The development of Computational Biology has been influenced by various factors. One main influence derives from the need to solve problems associated with the assimilation, storage, retrieval and analysis of data arising from the Human Genome Project and similar projects that involve massive data sets containing bibliographic information, DNA sequence information and testing methods and results. The analysis of such data involves the development and use of complex information modeling techniques, languages, visualization techniques, and computational methods. The second broad area of biology in which computational methods have for some time been used is in evolution and ecology. Many evolutionary processes when viewed from the genetic point of view involve equations of such complexity that ordinary algebraic and calculus methods are simply insufficient to solve them, and numerical methods entailing the use of a computer are necessary. The construction of phylogenetic trees of evolution has for a long time been carried out by computational as opposed to mathematical methods. Many ecological processes similarly involve such complexities that computer methods offer the only way forward . Computational Biology is a field of current interest and...