How to Learn Bioinformatics: Online Courses, Training, and Certificate Programs

Bioinformatics is the use of a mixture of biology and programming to break down, analyze, and store biological data. It is a multidisciplinary field that combines computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistics, and biology.

The roots of bioinformatics were first established in 1970 when it was described as the “study of informatic processes in biotic systems.” The initial definition of the term differs from today, as it was originally more aligned with biochemistry. Now, it has changed with the times to integrate more technology into the field. 

Read on to learn more about bioinformatics and how you can learn bioinformatics. This article also includes a guide to the best bioinformatics courses online and other resources.

What Is Bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics is used to analyze and develop methods and software for the sequencing of biological molecules and medicine data. It usually concerns the study of genetics, genomics, and biological sequences, including amino acid sequences, DNA, and RNA. Programming is used in bioinformatics to help scientists learn about gene and protein functions so that they can establish evolutionary relationships.

Although some consider bioinformatics to be a relatively new field, the theories behind it were first introduced in the early 1950s. Biology became affiliated with computers when Frederick Sanger determined the sequence of the protein insulin in 1958. Since then, this interdisciplinary field has evolved into one of the most progressive in modern-day science. 

Types of Bioinformatics and What They Are Used For 

As our knowledge of biological and medicinal data has increased, manual analysis of large amounts of data has become impossible. But bioinformatics provides a solution to the data science problems faced in biology. With the help of bioinformatics, scientists have been able to make amazing achievements in recent decades.

• Bioinformatics in the human genome project. The Human Genome Project was a collective global research program that began in 1990 and concluded in 2003. The goal was to discover all of the genes present in human beings. The first project phase in 1990 took four years to complete, whereas the second phase in 2003 took just four months. The program’s cost also dropped dramatically due to technological advancements.

• Bioinformatics in forensics. The bioinformatics database is also used in criminal investigations. It can help solve a case by providing information on DNA and other biological identifiers. This can narrow the search for a suspect and provide quick results.  Additionally, bioinformatics can be used to identify perpetrators of bioterrorism attacks. This genomic data science can also be used to establish patterns in pandemics. The Wuhan Institute of Virology tracked the genome sequence of COVID-19 and confirmed the virus origin to be from a bat. Bioinformatics has also been pivotal in COVID-19 data tracing.

• Bioinformatics in medicine. Bioinformatics serves a key purpose in the area of drug discovery, precision medicine, and gene therapy. Developments in the field have helped the pharmaceutical industry abandon the lengthy trial and error process of drug discovery. Bioinformatics helps develop effective drugs by accurately predicting genetic algorithms and analyzing data. It is used in precision medicine to examine an individual’s genetic profile so they can be treated accordingly. 

• Bioinformatics in agriculture. Outside of human uses, bioinformatics has also contributed to managing data in decoding plant genomes. Results have been applied to crop improvements, insect resistance, improvements in nutritional value for humans, and disease resistance among animals. This information has allowed for drought-resistant crops, as well as herbicide and pesticide-resistant varieties. It has also led to improvements in milk and meat quality in farm animals. Agricultural scientists have also begun using bioinformatics to enhance the genes of rice. They made it more nutritional by increasing levels of Vitamin A, iron, and other micronutrients.

Learning Bioinformatics

Before you start learning bioinformatics, you should have an interest in DNA algorithms and computer science. You can then figure out what specific areas of the subject interest you. Some of those are DNA sequencing, computational evolutionary biology, or the analysis of genetics related to the disease. 

To determine the specific area of interest, you can start by reading Understanding Bioinformatics, by J Baum and M Zvelebil. This book will give you an overview of bioinformatics and provide a detailed introduction to its applications. 

Many courses, training, and webinars can help you take your first steps toward learning bioinformatics. These range from in-person lectures to online classes that can be taken from anywhere.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Bioinformatics?

The time it takes to learn bioinformatics is dependent on your background knowledge. The stronger your background in biology, biotechnology, computer science, or a related field, the faster you will learn. 

Most bioinformaticians have a Bachelor of Science in Biology or one of the aforementioned subjects. Some further their studies, getting a Ph.D. in a specific branch of the subject. So, if you are just starting your education, it could take approximately up to four years to learn programming and biology.

How to Learn Bioinformatics: Step-by-Step

To learn how to become a bioinformatician, you must develop a base knowledge in the subjects that make up the field. Start by following these basic steps.

1. Learn biology. Study the area of biology associated with the field of bioinformatics you are interested in. For example, if you are interested in molecular bioinformatics, you should learn molecular biology. 
2. Study computer programming. Learn a programming language commonly used in bioinformatics. You may want to learn Python, R, Bash, Matlab, or Java, as well as the machine learning techniques associated with them. These can all be learned using online tutorials. 
3. Choose a course. Look up courses that match your field of interest in bioinformatics. For example, you may want to learn computer forensics or get an online biology degree to begin. 
4. Study statistics. Now, you should learn the basics of statistics. You can use resources such as Khan Academy, to study top tools for data analysis software systems like SPSS and SAS. 
5. Start practicing bioinformatics. Find problems and exercises online that you can solve to practice what you have learned. 

The Best Online Bioinformatics Courses and Training

There are a lot of online resources to kickstart your journey in bioinformatics. Below is a list of some of the online courses and training. 

Best Online Bioinformatics Courses

First, let’s look at some of the paid online bioinformatics courses that may interest you. 

Tutorials in Genomics & Bioinformatics 

• Provider: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
• Prerequisites: None 
• Price: $359 for Academic Virtual Package

$600 for Corporate Virtual Package

This is a three-day introductory course to genomics and bioinformatics. It covers a range of topics such as sequences, genes, and protein resources.

The course is recommended for people interested in projects involving the analysis of large data sets. The course fee covers all the tools you will need.

Introduction to Analysis of Epigenetic Data 

• Provider: UC Davis Bioinformatics Core
• Prerequisites: Familiarity with genomic concepts encouraged 
• Price:  $1,000: UC Students

           $1,200: Non-UC academic and non-profits

          $1,700: Other participants

This weeklong workshop covers topics including the Illumina platform and epigenetic experiments. It is a hands-on workshop, and the course materials will remain available to you for a week after the workshop.

Participants need to have access to a computer with recent versions of R, R Studio and Java installed. You can contact training.bioinformatics@ucdavis.edu to receive a custom coupon code for the workshop. 

Best Free Online Bioinformatics Courses

For those who don’t want to spend any money to pay for courses, below is a list of free courses. 

Bioinformatics Stronghold

• Provider: Rosalind
• Prerequisites: None 
• Price: Free

Rosalind is dedicated to teaching bioinformatics through problem-solving. The company aims to inspire students to enter bioinformatics through online learning. It encourages biologists and computer scientists to learn each other’s fields and combine their knowledge at their own pace. 

The courses cover a beginner’s guide to learning programming through Python and a variety of other areas of bioinformatics.

Bioinformatics for the Terrified 

• Provider: European Bioinformatics Institute
• Prerequisites: None 
• Price: Free

European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) is one of the biggest in the industry in Europe. Its website is a solid start for people seeking more information. Bioinformatics for the Terrified is a three-hour course that covers the general concepts of bioinformatics.

It covers bioinformatics in molecular science, using video lectures and exercises. Students are also provided with access to public resources.

Bioinformatics for Beginners

• Provider: Unacademy
• Prerequisites: None 
• Price: Free

Course instructor Malini Sundar Rajan has a bachelor’s of engineering and is pursuing a master’s of technology in biotechnology.

This course consists of 20 lessons for beginners in bioinformatics. Rajan’s lectures cover the history of the field, model organisms, biological databases, data mining, and analytics tools, and much more.

The practice work for the course also includes questions previously asked on the Graduate Aptitude Test In Engineering in India. You can also view and download all of the course’s presentations in PDF form.

MGnify API: accessing microbiome data computationally

• Provider: European Bioinformatics Institute
• Prerequisites: None, Some familiarity with MGnify and Programmatic access methods is recommended 
• Price: Free

This webinar is for those interested in learning more about MGnify API. Additionally, it will include a guide on how to use the API in a browser. Participants will learn how to access documentation for the MGnify API from the webinar. If you are interested, sign up fast, as there are only 200 slots available in this webinar. 

Best Bioinformatics Courses With Certificates 

Metagenome-atlas: Three commands to start analyzing your metagenome data

• Provider: Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
• Prerequisites: Fastq File, Bash, and R or Python 
• Price: $65.59: Academic, Non-Profit and Unemployed 

                      $600: For Profit

This course will be streamed live from Geneva on December 7, 2020, from 9 am till 5 pm Central European Time. It covers all the steps required in assembly-based metagenomics and genomes.

This course is mainly targeted towards researchers and post-graduate students interested in analyzing metagenomic data with Metagenome-Atlas. At the end of the course, you can earn a certificate and also take an exam to earn 0.25 ECTS credits.

Bioinformatic Methods I

• Provider: Coursera, University of Toronto
• Prerequisites: Graduate students with an understanding of molecular biology
• Price: Free

Bioinformatic Methods I is an eight-week-long course that requires two to four hours per week of study. The course covers multiple sequence alignments, phylogenetics, gene expression data analysis, and protein interaction networks. You can also get a certification upon completion for a fee.

The course is split into two parts. Bioinformatic Methods I teach blast, phylogenetics, and databases. Bioinformatic Methods II teaches motif searching, structural bioinformatics, and gene expression data analysis.

Learn how to analyze biological data 

• Provider: edX, University of Maryland
• Prerequisites: None
• Price: $747

Learn how to analyze biological data is a Micromasters program in bioinformatics. The six-month course covers the analysis of DNA sequences and the use of statistical analysis tools. 

You will earn a Micromasters certificate at the end if you score 80 percent or better on your exam. The certificate will count as 12 credits toward the full master’s degree program. 

Best Bioinformatics Books

For those who prefer learning on their own, you can use plenty of books available on the topic. Below are our favorite books on bioinformatics.

Bioinformatics for Dummies, Jean-Mechel Claverie and Cedric Notredame

Claverie and Motredame’s Bioinformatics for Dummies is a fantastic book for you to start your journey in the field. You can learn the basics and take advantage of a step-by-step guide to bioinformatics in this book. 

Bioinformatics: Sequence and Genome Analysis. David Mount

In this book, Mount provides a detailed overview of computational methods used in DNA, RNA, genome, and protein data. You can also learn topics like data mining, statistical analysis of sequence ailments, and more. This is a great book to gain an understanding of genome sequencing. 

Introduction to Bioinformatics. Arthur Lesk

You can learn the benefits of bioinformatics and how to use data tools to access archived data on proteins and genomes in this book. This is a great book to get a headstart on a specific branch of the field that interests you the most. 

Best Online Bioinformatics Resources

There are a plethora of other online resources that you can use to learn bioinformatics. Below are Career Karma’s favorite resources.

Broad Institute

Broad Institute is an amazing website that offers free software tools and data for human genomic analysis. You can use this website to learn and practice genomic data science analysis.  

California Biobank Program

UC Berkeley Library has a biobank program section, where you can use the listed resources to learn more about the subject. There are huge databases you can utilize to gain a further understanding of data analysis.

Should You Study Bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics provides us with an array of opportunities to further our knowledge in the field of biology. It has allowed us to better understand DNA, which has led to incredible scientific achievements. It has also made agriculture more sustainable, helped scientists discover new drugs and treatments, and aided in criminal investigations. 

Bioinformatics has proven integral to analysis in life sciences and continues to facilitate the advancement of biosciences.

If you’re interested in learning this field, choose a course from above that appeals to you and get studying.