When the BRC at NC State University was founded in 2000, it was with the understanding that quantative methods applied to massive datasets are essential to the comprehension of the genomic structure of even the simplest organisms.
Since the creation of the center, those large datasets have gotten only larger.
The quantitative skills have become even more essential.
The Perfect Fit
Biology is perfect fit for this pursuit: It’s a quantitative science with a heavy reliance upon massive amounts of data. Today, a university cannot maintain a strong presence in biological research without an equally strong group of quantitatively-oriented and biologically-focused bioinformatics researchers. The BRC is N.C. State’s answer to that growing need.
So what does “bioinformatics” mean at NC State?
Here, it has been broadly defined, meaning the topic is rooted in biology and computer science, as well as based heavily on statistics.
This focus on the intersection between biology, statistics, and computer science is also what makes the program unique. Other bioinformatics programs do not typically place nearly so much emphasis on statistics. However, the BRC and the closely connected graduate training program are both direct descendants of the longstanding strength at NC State in statistical and quantitative genetics.