Scientists studying and mapping the human genome will need new technologies to research the vast amounts of information the project produces.

This is the principle behind bioinformatics, a new discipline of study emerging in the field of biology, and a new major at Missouri Southern.

Bioinformatics is the processing and studying of the information gathered by computers about the human genome project. The bioinformatics major will combine core classes in biology with core class in computer information science.

Dr. Scott Wells, head of the biology department, said Southern has been working to add the major to its curriculum for three years, and it is the first undergraduate program for bioinformatics in Missouri.

“In essence, it’s a double major of biology and computer information science,” Wells said.

Upon completion of the first bioinformatics majors in 2004, students will obtain a double baccalaureate in biology and computer information science. Wells said the major will require the standard 124 credit hours, but will leave little room for elective classes.

Dr. Jack Oakes, head of the computer information science department, said bioinformatics is an exciting new field of science with many job opportunities in the future.

“They’re using computers and sophisticated searching algorithms to deal with this large data base of information being produced by the genetics program,” Oakes said.

He said bioinformatics is the opportunity to integrate expertise from both areas of science to solve important problems.

Dr. Gerald Schlink, professor of biology, will be the adviser for the bioinformatics major and teach the biology core class called Bioinformatics.

“The discipline is a hybrid between computer usage and a knowledge of biology,” Schlink said. “The biologist has to have computer programs to do the analysis, and computer programmers have to know enough biology to know what computer program to write.”

Schlink said Bioinformatics 420 will not begin until next semester. Schlink and Dennis Herr, assistant professor of computer information science, will attend a conference in October where professionals and educators from around the country will determine where the field of discipline is going and what educators should teach in the classroom.

Schlink said bioinformatics was the most rapidly advancing area in biology and thinks the major allows students a wide range of opportunities in the new biotechnology world.

“A person can decide to go more into the computer side or go into the biology more, but both will be working hand-in-hand,” Schlink said.