Welcome

The completion of numerous Genome Projects in the last decade marks a magnificent milestone for humankind. Bioinformatics, which stands at the nexus of biological and computational sciences, takes advantage of this milestone, offering the promise of systematically studying biological systems and providing solutions that improve the human condition.

This promise has been translated in a strong demand for well-trained scientists and engineers in bioinformatics. Indeed, personnel well versed in both biological concepts and information technology is in high demand in both industry and academia, since they are capable of bridging the diverse cultures and languages of the biosciences and IT communities. There is, hence, a clear need to attract students to bioinformatics-related careers, and a summer program can indeed become an effective vehicle to accomplish this. The overarching goal of the University of Minnesota Bioinformatics Summer Institute (UMBSI) will be to build a bridge between biological sciences and information technology backgrounds, exposing undergraduate students to bioinformatics, and directing them to become the new generation of bioinformatics professionals.