Advances in computer technology lie at the interface of biology and computational technology: bioinformatics -- an approach that has revolutionized the way biology is studied. To enhance "Bioinformatic Technology in Biology Education," Hamilton has been awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation to establish the Biology Computing Facility (BCF). This $256,586 project will be housed in Phase I of Hamilton's new Science Center (expected to be completed in Spring, 2004). The collaborative effort by biology professors Ken Bart, Steve Festin, Jinnie Garrett, Herm Lehman and Patrick Reynolds will infuse bioinformatics technology into the biology curriculum.
"Bioinformatics has revolutionized the way we study biology. Biological problems are complex and often difficult to study," says Festin, who will direct the new BCF. "To understand even the simplest living system may take many individuals years to complete. Computers have been used as tools by biologists for many years, but recently computers have provided the capability to investigate problems previously thought to be unapproachable."
For example, Festin says, mapping our genetic blueprints through sequencing of the human genome and other projects sequencing the genomes of thousands of viruses, microbes and other organisms are a direct result of the ability of computers to coordinate, store and analyze huge amounts of information. Bioinformatics has blossomed as a discipline uniquely capable of not only managing large amounts of data and instrumentation, but also discerning the biological relevance of this information. It is at this interface that scientists' ability to deal with the complexity of biology is facilitated through technology, providing answers that would otherwise be unavailable.
With the NSF grant, beginning in the fall 2004 semester, a series of inquiry-based modules will be integrated throughout introductory, middle and upper-level courses to apply bioinformatics solutions in investigating and understanding biological systems. Festin says, "The three-year project will become a model for bioinformatics in liberal arts education."
In addition to impacting classes taught in the biology, biochemistry/molecular biology, neuroscience and environmental studies programs, the facility will enhance student research opportunities in those faculty laboratories currently using bioinformatics by providing access to resources typically available only at major research universities.
Vice President for Information Technology David Smallen says, "The bioinformatics initiative at Hamilton is an outstanding application of technology that will allow students to work at the frontiers of science. It will help to make Hamilton the place to be for students who want the opportunity to do collaborative work with faculty in a technologically advanced science facility."
The Biology Computing Facility, or BCF, was an integral part of the design and planning stages of Hamilton's new Science Center. The facility is centrally located in biology department space within the building and will be accessible to students and faculty members for classes, exercises, projects and research. The BCF will combine a wireless portable classroom and dedicated desktop computers in a 500-square foot computer laboratory and a state-of-the-art server to house the more than 300 bioinformatics programs that will form the core of the project. The new "wireless" Science Center will make any classroom and teaching or research laboratory in the biology department part of the computing facility.
