In the past two decades, improvements in the techniques of molecular biology have created extensive databases of information on the sequence, structures, and functions of biological macromolecules (especially DNA and proteins). This accumulation of information has culminated in genomic sequencing projects, which have provided complete genomic sequences of a wide variety of organisms, including many micro-organisms that are human disease agents, and finally the complete human genome. New techniques, such as gene expression microarrays and techniques for the study of protein expression, have provided additional information that will aid in unraveling cellular function at the molecular level.

     The use of computational methods to mine the biological information in genomic sequences and in data on molecular structure and expression constitutes the core of the new and rapidly growing field of bioinformatics. Bioinformatics has important applications in such areas as drug design, genetic disease testing, and agricultural biotechnology. Industries active in these and related areas have a growing need for intensive application of computational methods by professionals possessing training in both molecular biology and computer science and understanding the computational and statistical methods specific to biological sequence analysis. There is already a high demand for professionals having the combination of skills required for work in this area, a demand that is likely to continue at a high level for the foreseeable future.

     The curriculum for the PSM in bioinformatics provides the biological background necessary for a career in bioinformatics, as well as the essential background in statistics and computer science necessary for developing and applying computational methods to biological databases. Students will also be exposed to management, intellectual property, and public relations issues in science based business and will be prepared to start or to serve biotech companies at the forefront of the national and global biotech scene. A student whose background has deficiencies in one or more of the three major disciplines constituting the bioinformatics curriculum (biology, computer science, and statistics) may make up deficiencies by taking introductory courses prior to undertaking the specified curriculum.