Systems and Information Biology

Why study Systems and Information Biology?

Why does one person develop a debilitating disease early in life while another lives to be 100? How can we engineer microbes to produce new drugs or develop sustainable technologies? How can we develop better conservation strategies based on our understanding of the genetic diversity within a species?

The potential to explore these questions has exploded in our modern age of big data and data analytics. Thanks to advances in scientific and digital technologies, we can now collect vast amounts of information about biological systems, revolutionizing our ability to understand the world around us. But in order to access the insights offered by massive data sets, researchers need the language and tools of computer science.

The BSc in Systems and Information Biology will place you at the rich intersection of biology and computer science. Through lectures, labs and research projects, you will learn how to use computational and bioinformatic approaches to explore the biological sciences. Depending on your path through the program, you will learn about:

• molecular and cell biology
• computer coding and algorithms relevant to the biological sciences
• genomics and biological data sciences
• mathematics, statistics, and modelling
• ecology and evolutionary biology

Concordia's hands-on approach provides a solid foundation for a career in the life sciences or environmental sciences, or paves the way for future graduate studies.

Students who are more interested in studying these issues with a foundation in computer science may wish to consider the BCompSc in Health and Life Sciences.

The BSc in Systems and Information Biology will prepare you for a career in biotechnology, as well as for additional graduate training in health-related and life sciences, such as:

• Bioinformatics
• Systems Biology
• Biotechnology
• Medical research
• Pharmacology