Bioinformatics at the "National Center for Bioinformatics" Faculty of Biological Sciences,
Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Bioinformatics originated as a cross-disciplinary field as the need for computational solutions to research problems raised in biomedicine. The field evolved as computation became cheaper and widespread during the 80s, as the Internet grew during the 90s, and as high-throughput technologies become common in the 2000s. The use of computational methods in biomedicine deals with the analysis, storage, manipulation and interpretation of macromolecules such as DNA, RNA and proteins. The massive quantities of data generated by genomic research and analysis of this data through computational tools allow for the interpretation of the hidden information contents within macromolecules and their roles in the game of life. Conversely, the wet lab analysis of computationally predicted functionally relevant motifs/segments of macromolecules further enhances our understanding of what is going on in cells.

The National Center for Bioinformatics will provide basic and advanced level research training to young Pakistani scholars in the field of bioinformatics--an emerging discipline. Our vision to establish programs such as: DNA mapping and sequencing, string storage and string manipulation: pattern matching and string alignments: multiple alignment: gene finding: genome comparison: protein structure prediction: regulatory network analysis: modeling biological systems: deciphering transcriptomic data generated by high-throughput experimental technologies.