In recent decades, significant technological advances, such as the Human Genome Project, have revolutionized the fields of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Bioinformatics represents a new interdisciplinary field at the interface between the ongoing revolutions in Biology and Computer Science, serving as an integrative scientific area with the goal of understanding the mechanisms underlying biological problems. This field encompasses both the cellular and molecular dimensions as well as broader levels, including organisms, populations, species, ecosystems, and biomes, addressing questions related to genetics, systems biology, omics, pathology, ecology, evolution, epidemiology, among others.
The Bachelor in Bioinformatics (LBIONF) is a solid initiative focused on specialization in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the undergraduate level. It results from a joint strategy between the Faculty of Sciences, the Faculty of Pharmacy, and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar of the University of Porto (UP), in close partnership with the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto and several companies. To achieve this ambition, the curriculum of the LBIONF is designed to provide students with transversal knowledge and skills in mathematics, computing, biochemistry, and biology, the latter being approached from a computational perspective.
The Bachelor in Bioinformatics aims to train highly qualified professionals specialized in Bioinformatics, with a solid foundation in Computer Science and in the core areas of Life and Health Sciences. Upon completing the program, graduates will be prepared to join multidisciplinary teams in advanced research and to work as specialized professionals, contributing to strengthening the competitive potential of technology-driven companies. In this way, they will be ready to face contemporary societal challenges in the fields of innovation and development, particularly in areas such as health technologies, biotechnology, environment, and the food and pharmaceutical industries. Alternatively, graduates may choose to pursue a second cycle of studies in specialized areas such as Bioinformatics, Data Science, or Biomedical Sciences, or in broader fields such as Computer Science or Biology.