Genomics and Bioinformatics

Tremendous progress has been made over the past three decades in unlocking the mysteries of life. This progress has been driven by a combination of advances in technologies that enable the sequencing of biomolecules (DNA/Protein) and the development of efficient computational algorithms to analyze the large quantities of data generated by these technologies. These advances have allowed us to decipher the genomes of thousands of species and provided significant insights into the inner workings of cells. The study of biological systems and their genomes is an interdisciplinary research area, and progress has been driven by contributions from both biological and mathematical sciences.

The Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster (GBC) was created to inspire cross-cutting research that leverages UCF’s strengths in medicine, evolution and ecology, and computer science. GBC faculty use genomic tools to address research questions in a wide range of areas in the biological domain, including (i) monitoring biodiversity and understanding how it is impacted by environmental factors, (ii) studying the evolution and spread of infectious diseases, (iii) understanding the genetic basis of different cancers, (iv) predicting drug responses, and (v) understanding the structure and function of microbial ecosystems. On the computational front, research focus areas include combinatorial algorithms, machine learning and AI to enable efficient analysis of big data in genomics.

UCF Colleges Involved with Genomics and Bioinformatics Research:

• College of Engineering and Computer Science
• College of Medicine
• College of Sciences
• College of Nursing