Bioinformatics

Why choose bioinformatics at North Central College?

Bioinformatics, a branch of biotechnology using computational algorithms and techniques to work with biological data like DNA, is a vibrant new field. Bioinformatics is particularly important to genomics research because of the large amount of complex data this research generates.

With a minor in bioinformatics from North Central College, you’ll learn how to apply computer science skills to the study of molecular biology. You’ll have opportunities to experience how databases, algorithms, computational and statistical techniques are used to solve practical problems involving the management and analysis of biological data.

North Central’s interdisciplinary approach is distinct. Very few other small, liberal arts colleges offer the opportunity to minor in bioinformatics.

You can also:

Gain hands-on research experience in the growing field of genomics.
Pursue research interests anywhere in the world by applying for a Richter Independent Study Fellowship grant.
Conduct research during North Central’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program and present your findings at the Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research and at regional or national conferences.

Grace Muganda earns 2012 Outstanding Major in Biochemistry Award

Grace Muganda of Bolingbrook was awarded the 2012 Outstanding Major in Biochemistry Award during Honors Day May 15 at North Central College.

Heather Carlson ’91 delivers keynote address at Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research

Heather Carlson '91 delivered the keynote address at North Central College’s 15th annual Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research.

2012 Goldwater Scholar, Maria Gommel

Math major Maria Gommel ’13 joins the ranks of Goldwater Scholars

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Careers

Biological scientist—develop new drugs for pharmaceutical companies
Molecular modelers and bioinformatic software engineer—develop bioinformatic tools
Biostatistician and computational biologist—analyze and integrate bioinformatic data
Genomic and proteomic researcher

Feature

Grace Muganda

Biochemistry major, bioinformatics minor

“I love working in the lab and being around people who eat, breathe and sleep science,” says Grace Muganda. “It’s a great big family inside the Science Center—a real community. It’s marvelous to talk about your work with the faculty and other students. You can talk to the professors about anything, anytime. I can go to them with questions about life, worries about graduate school—anything. They really care about us.

“You can get a great education here. I completed an internship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison last summer, and I was the only intern in the group who had written a lab report fit for publication. I’m confident I can go anywhere and do anything I want to do.”

In fact, she’s well on her way toward achieving her current goals of graduate study and, ultimately, a career in medical education. “I want to become dean of a medical school,” she says. Grace recently landed an internship at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. “I’ll be assigned a mentor—either a Ph.D. or M.D. student—and we’ll do research together,” she says. Grace is also the College's latest Goldwater honoree. She earned an honorable mention in the Barry M. Goldwater National Scholarship Program.

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