Official Master's Degree in Bioinformatics

Ideal student profile

The Bioinformatics master’s program is aimed at graduates in the fields of life sciences or health sciences, as well as in mathematics, engineering, or physics, who are motivated and interested in biology and computer science, and possess a proactive attitude and problem-solving mindset. The program is suitable both for students who wish to pursue research and teaching in bioinformatics and for those seeking more applied training in genomic, biomedical, biotechnological, pharmaceutical, agricultural and animal improvement, and evolutionary fields, among others.

Knowledge

• Describe the molecular bases and the most common standard experimental techniques in omics research (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, interactomics, etc.), understanding their usefulness and limitations in bioinformatics practice.
• Explain in an advanced and critical way the theoretical foundations of bioinformatics, as a conceptual basis for interdisciplinary research or innovation in this field.
• Explain critically how the principles of the scientific method are integrated into the design and evaluation of bioinformatics solutions aimed at solving complex problems.
• Identify the ethical problems posed by scientific and technological development in the field of bioinformatics.
• Identify scientific, valid and reliable sources of information to substantiate the state of the art of a bioinformatics problem and to be able to address its resolution.
• Identify the areas of knowledge necessary to design and develop research or innovation projects in bioinformatics autonomously.

Skills

• Prepare different types of biomolecular data generated by omics technologies, ensuring their correct organisation, format and quality for use in bioinformatics analysis.
• Use high-performance operating systems, programming languages, and computing platforms to perform bioinformatics analysis tasks.
• Use databases and standard formats of biomolecular information, integrating information from different bioinformatics sources.
• Critically employ specialised bioinformatics tools and online resources to solve biological and computational problems.
• Bioinformatically analyse the data derived from omics technologies, extracting relevant biological information.
• Interpret the information from molecular databases in a logical and reasoned way, analysing it using bioinformatics tools and assessing its scientific consistency.
• Use algorithms, statistical models and computational techniques to solve formal and practical problems associated with the management and analysis of biological data.

Competences

• Be able to communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing, for both specialised and non-specialised audiences, rigorously exposing the scientific or technical results of bioinformatics.
• Work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary manner in bioinformatics research or development teams, contributing to the achievement of the defined objectives and optimising the available resources.
• Integrate the acquisition, structuring, analysis and visualisation of bioinformatics data and information, critically assessing the results obtained.
• Detect deficiencies in technical or conceptual approaches related to bioinformatics, applying critical reflection, creativity and innovation to overcome these limitations.
• Propose bioinformatics solutions to biological problems based on data derived from omics and structural research.
• Incorporate the gender and sex perspective, along with ethical and sustainability considerations, in the design, development and evaluation of bioinformatics solutions and research.
• Propose innovative and entrepreneurial solutions in the field of bioinformatics, demonstrating initiative and professional or research responsibility.