An example of a complex bioinformatics dataset.
Bioinformatics/Computational Biology is a growing field of scientific research that integrates the disciplines of computer science, statistics and biology to address complex research questions. Scientists trained in bioinformatics/computational biology have expertise in computer science, statistics, mathematics, biology, information technology, database development and algorithm development, and they use those skills to process, filter, analyze and visualize the salient features of large data sets. Without bioinformatics and computation, biology researchers would be unable to fully understand and integrate the high-throughput data they generate in experiments.
Through bioinformatics and computational biology, scientists can address some of the most complicated questions about biology. It is a valuable collaborative tool that supports scientists in their quest to understand the role that the 20,000-plus genes in the human genome play in cellular development. The use of computational analysis to make better and more educated guesses about the influence and status of specific genetic information is proving to be beneficial in the high stakes world of stem cell and regenerative biology research.