Adapting bioinformatics curricula for big data

Modern technologies are capable of generating enormous amounts of data that measure complex biological systems. Computational biologists and bioinformatics scientists are increasingly being asked to use these data to reveal key systems-level properties. We review the extent to which curricula are ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Briefings in bioinformatics Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 43 - 50
Main Authors: Greene, Anna C., Giffin, Kristine A., Greene, Casey S., Moore, Jason H.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Oxford Publishing Limited (England) 01.01.2016
Oxford University Press
Subjects:
Bioinformatics
biologists
Computational Biology - education
Computational Biology - trends
Current Progress in Bioinformatics 2016 Papers
Curricula
curriculum
Curriculum - trends
education programs
Humans
Scientists
students
education
data science
big data
bioinformatics
ISSN:1467-5463, 1477-4054, 1477-4054
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Modern technologies are capable of generating enormous amounts of data that measure complex biological systems. Computational biologists and bioinformatics scientists are increasingly being asked to use these data to reveal key systems-level properties. We review the extent to which curricula are changing in the era of big data. We identify key competencies that scientists dealing with big data are expected to possess across fields, and we use this information to propose courses to meet these growing needs. While bioinformatics programs have traditionally trained students in data-intensive science, we identify areas of particular biological, computational and statistical emphasis important for this era that can be incorporated into existing curricula. For each area, we propose a course structured around these topics, which can be adapted in whole or in parts into existing curricula. In summary, specific challenges associated with big data provide an important opportunity to update existing curricula, but we do not foresee a wholesale redesign of bioinformatics training programs.
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ISSN:1467-5463
1477-4054
1477-4054
DOI:10.1093/bib/bbv018