Overview. The International Bologna Master in Bioinformatics aims at creating, within the Bologna process, a European Higher Education Area in Bioinformatics and at generating knowledge and expertise in specific fields of Biology, Biotechnology and Medicine in the post-genomic era when it is necessary to store and retrieve molecular data from specialised data bases. International Bologna Master in Bioinformatics is a demand for Bio-logists keen to face the nano-world of Biotechnology with a proper background and for Computer Scientists keen to model complex biological phenomena.

Learning Outcomes. In the post-genomic era it is urgent for the advancement of science and of technological application to manage billions of biological data in order to store and retrieve the correct information. Furthermore it is necessary to improve existing methods and/or alternatively to develop new ones for the analysis of genes, genomes, polymorphisms and their correlation to different pathologies. Bioinformatics includes several applications, as it is evident from the many laboratories that at the University of Bologna are linked to this training program and willing to accept students for stage and thesis.

Requirements for the Admission. Admission to the International Bologna Master in Bioinformatics is allowed to students with a good background either in Bio-logies or in Computational Sciences.

Courses Syllabus. The International Bologna Master in Bioinformatics consists of two years: in the 1st year all the basics of Informatics, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics are taught; in the 2nd year the students are requested to practice their knowledge in a research field selected among different ones at the University of Bologna and/or abroad, in Academic or Industrial laboratories [Erasmus programs are available]. A joint program with the University Pompeu Fabra and the University of Barcelona in Barcelona is available to obtain a double title in Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics for the Health Science

Career Opportunities. Presently Biomedical and Biological researches need qualified experts with a cross-disciplinary expertise, able to manage, generate and contribute to the rational handling of biological data and their analysis. Professions such as Bio-data Analyst, Bio-Software Engineer, Biologist, Bioinformatician, Bio-database Curator and Biotechnologist can benefit from International Bologna Master in Bioinformatics

Aim of the Master. What is Bioinformatics? Why do we need it? Which biomedical and nanotechnological applications need Bioinformatics? The International Bologna Master in Bioinformatics addresses these questions and aims to generate knowledge and expertise in specific fields of Biology, Biotechnology and Medicine, where it is fundamental to refer to and retrieve bio-molecular data stored in Biomedical Databases. In the post-genomic era it is urgent for the advancement of science and of technological application to manage billions of biological data in order to store and retrieve the correct information. Furthermore it is necessary to improve existing methods or alternatively to develop new ones for the analysis of genes, genomes, polymorphisms and their correlation to different pathologies. Presently Biomedical and Biological researches need qualified experts with a cross-disciplinary expertise, able to manage, generate and contribute not only to the rational handling of biological data but also capable of giving contributions to the incremental development of existing data bases with the aim of preserving and transmitting all the richness of information at a molecular level of our and other species. Bioinformatics includes several applications, as it is evident from the many laboratories that at the University of Bologna are linked to this training programme and are willing to accept students for their practical stage and writing of the final thesis.