Next year, it will be possible to obtain an MSc in Bioinformatics at Ghent University. It is a new interdisciplinary education that joins the forces of biologists, geneticists, engineers and mathematicians.

Life sciences can no more exist without bioinformatics. Bioinformaticians are needed to analyze data that can explain why some people get cancer, Alzheimer’s or aging diseases. Also, as the world population is continuously growing, sustainable agriculture is a demanding challenge. Therefore, data analysis to select the most economically and environmentally friendly crops is of uttermost importance.  

The new education program is an initiative from the platform N2N (From Nucleotides To NetWorks Ghent). The MSc in Bioinformatics will prepare students for a future full of challenges and job security. The necessity for candidates with an appropriate education to develop new software applications for biological problems is high. Companies as Bayer, BASF and Janssen Pharmaceutica see the importance of bioinformatics rise, as vacancies are plentiful.