Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics

Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics

BSc Bioinformatics ·
4 years
  • Fee:NPR 840,000

Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics (BSc Bioinformatics) is focused on the science of gathering and analyzing intricate biological data, such as genetic coding. In this area, the intersection of biology, computing, and statistics is applied in molecular biology, organism biology, and biomedicine.

Bioinformatics is an emerging field that combines information sciences with life sciences to address the challenges arising from new technologies and vast amounts of data in biology, chemistry, and medicine. It focuses on understanding molecular biological processes and is crucial in medicine, drug discovery, and other areas.

Bioinformatics tackles various problems, such as protein and nucleic acid sequencing and analysis, protein function identification, molecule structure elucidation, ecological pattern understanding, gene expression analysis, evolutionary relationship study, molecular modeling, drug design, and algorithm development.

A Bachelor's degree in Bioinformatics equips students with essential skills. They learn data analysis, software development, and computational infrastructure support in biological contexts. They gain expertise in managing and analyzing large datasets using bioinformatics software and statistical methods.

Students also develop programming skills, proficiency in scripting languages, and knowledge of molecular biology, genomics, and genetics. Additionally, they acquire managerial and programmatic abilities and an understanding of funding, research, and innovation policies.

Salient Features

  • A unique program integrating modern information sciences with the life sciences.
  • Develops and utilizes methods and techniques from computer science and mathematics in order to solve tasks from biology, chemistry, or medicine.  
  • Develop managerial and programmatic skills such as staff management and business development.
  • Apply software engineering methodologies to successfully design, implement and maintain systems and software in scientific environments.
  • Apply statistics in contexts such as molecular biology, genomics, and population genetics.

Eligibility

  • Must have taken PCB or PCM in both XI and XII.
  • A minimum grade of C in each subject.

OR

If the student has been evaluated in a percentage system, a minimum 50% in aggregate of PCB or PCM.

Job Prospects

After completing a Bachelor's degree in Bioinformatics, graduates can pursue various rewarding career opportunities that bridge the gap between life sciences and IT expertise. The field offers diverse job profiles, allowing individuals to contribute to multiple industries and sectors.

One prominent career path for bioinformatics graduates is within the pharmaceutical, chemical, plant, or food industries and in biotech companies. They can leverage their skills to analyze biological data, develop computational models, and contribute to drug discovery, genomics, or proteomics research. Their data analysis and IT application expertise are highly valued in these settings.

Another avenue for bioinformatics professionals is in software companies that specialize in producing pharmaceutical software. These companies require individuals with a strong understanding of biology, medicine, and chemistry and the ability to develop software solutions tailored to the specific needs of experts in these fields.

Hospitals and medical institutions increasingly recognize the importance of bioinformatics in pathology, diagnosis labs, and clinical studies. Bioinformatics graduates can find employment in these settings, utilizing their knowledge of databases, simulations, data mining, and algorithm design to support medical research, genomic analysis, and personalized medicine initiatives.

The scope of duties for bioinformatics graduates is vast and varied. They can specialize in database management, utilizing their skills to organize and analyze large datasets critical to research and development. They can also excel in simulations, employing computational models to simulate biological processes or predict outcomes. Additionally, their expertise in data mining allows them to extract meaningful insights from complex biological datasets.

Algorithm design is another crucial area in which bioinformatics graduates excel. They possess the ability to develop innovative algorithms and computational approaches to solve complex biological problems, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in data analysis and interpretation.

Overall, the career opportunities for individuals with a Bachelor's degree in Bioinformatics are abundant. Graduates can pursue roles in pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, software companies, hospitals, research institutions, and more. They can work as bioinformatics specialists, data analysts, research associates, software developers, or computational biologists, among other positions. The interdisciplinary nature of bioinformatics allows graduates to make valuable contributions at the intersection of life sciences and IT, driving advancements in fields such as genomics, drug discovery, personalized medicine, and biological research.

Curricular Structure

First Semester

Course Code Course title Credits
PHYS 104 General Physics 3
CHEM 101 General Chemistry 3
BIOL 103 General Biology 3
MATH 111 Calculus & Algebra 3
COMP 101 Information System Technology 2
ENGT 104 Professional Communication 3
PHYS 146 General Physics Lab 1
Total Credits 18

Second Semester

Course Code Course title Credits
PHYS 105 General Biophysics 3
CHEM 103 Chemistry I 3
MATH 102 Statistics & Probability 3
COMP 117 Introduction to Python Programming* 3
BINF 101 Introduction to Bioinformatics* 3
BINF 102 Professional Ethics 2
Total Credits 17

Third Semester

Course Code Course title Credits
BIOT 201 Microbiology 3
BIOT 203 Biochemistry 3
BIOT 205 Cell Biology 3
BICP 201 Data Structures & Algorithms* 3
BIMA 201 Linear Algebra 3
BIOT 251 Microbiology Lab 1
BIOT 252 Biochemistry lab 1
Total Credits 17

Fourth Semester

Course Code Course title Credits
BIOT 202 Genetics 3
BIOT 206 Molecular Biology I 3
BINF 206 Evolutionary Biology 3
BICP 206 Database Management Systems* 3
BIMA 206 Differential Equations 3
BIOT 256 Molecular Biology Lab 1
BINF 257 Project I 1
Total Credits 17

Fifth Semester

Course Code Course title Credits
BINF 301 Structural Bioinformatics* 3
BINF 302 Molecular Phylogenetics* 3
BINF 303 Genomics 3
BINF 304 Cheminformatics* 3
BINF 305 Algorithms in Bioinformatics 3
BICP 301 Machine Learning* 3
Total Credits 18

Sixth Semester

Course Code Course title Credits
BINF 306 Drug Design & Discovery* 3
BINF 307 Transcriptomics & Proteomics 3
BINF 308 Bioprocess Informatics* 3
BINF 309 Immunoinformatics 3
BICP 306 Programming Language Paradigm 3
BINF 357 Project II 2
Total Credits 17

Seventh Semester

Course Code Course title Credits
BINF 401 Seminar in Bioinformatics 1
BINF 402 Systems Biology* 3
PHYS 427 Parallel Computing* 3
BIMA 401 Advanced Statistics* 3
BINF XXX Elective I 3
BINF XXX Elective II 3
BINF 451 Industrial Internship 2
Total Credits 18

Eighth Semester

Course Code Course title Credits
BINF XXX Elective III 3
MGTS 402 Entrepreneurship Development 3
BINF 455 Project Work 6
Total Credits 12

Grand Total = 134

Note: Courses indexed with (*) signifies integrated laboratory within the subject and should be treated as (2 +1) course; 2 credits for theory and 1 credits for laboratory

List of Elective Subjects
Course Code Course title Credits
BINF 411 Metabolomics 3
BINF 412 Nutrigenomics 3
BINF 413 Infectious Diseases Informatics 3
BINF 414 Biodiversity Informatics 3
BINF 415 Genetic Counselling 3
BINF 416 Epigenetics 3
BICP 411 Advanced Topics in Deep Learning 3
BIMA 411 Mathematical Modeling of Biological Systems 3