IMAGINE knowing the most minute detail of your body so well that you can prevent yourself from getting ill.
Or if you fall sick, your family doctor knows exactly the medication which will work for you, without putting you through a tiresome trial and error process.
In the near future, these could all be possible due to unprecedented technological advancements in biomedical research which have resulted in the omics revolution.
Omics allow for the description of the molecular landscape of individuals with astonishing depth and breadth.
However, the translation of advancement in improvement in clinical care requires cross-disciplinary collaboration between life and computer sciences called bioinformatics. Bioinformatics-led innovation with applied clinical and epidemiologic research efforts are today seen as key to address some of the most pressing medical challenges.
National University of Singapore Associate Professor Dr Tan Tin Wee, who is also Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network representative, said: "For thousands of years, science has always been about observation — be it observing animals, plants or human beings. In the last 400 years, science focused on experiments as taught in the classrooms and labs till today. However, the last 10 to 20 years saw a dramatic change — in addition to the observational and experimental, we're seeing science as big data-driven, requiring computational and informational skills."
And what is big data science?
BGI (previously known as Beijing Genomics Institute) executive director Professor Dr Wang Jun describes it as a new field where life sciences generate petabytes of data, floating in different layers.
"You need to find useful information out of those data, work out mathematical models, store the data, make sense out of it.
“The information is crucial and central — the core of biology that can lead to personalised and precise medicine where there is no longer one common treatment to treat all. Technology will make healthcare better," he said.
Wang and Tan were speakers at Perdana University Annual Bioinformatics Colloquium 2014, themed Bioinformatics Transforming Life Science Research, Education and Services, held at the university’s interim campus.
At the event, the university launched its Centre for Bioinformatics and a one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Bioinformatics programme.
Centre for Bioinformatics director Assistant Professor Mohammad Asif Khan said the first intake of students for the programme at the School for Postgraduate Studies (http://
perdanauniversity.
edu.my/pusps) is in September. Students from a pure biology, computer science or life sciences background can enroll after completing a foundation course in bioinformatics.
"The curriculum for this programme was developed in consultation with academic and industry experts in the field.
“It is the only Postgraduate Diploma in Bioinformatics programme in Malaysia. Totally home-grown, it is in line with the road map for bioinformatics set by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation," he added.
The centre will leverage on its network of international connections to bring the latest advances in bioinformatics education and research to the country.
"The existing international and local collaborations within the university will indeed accelerate these developments.
“The ongoing ties with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US and Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet) will provide invaluable support for this endeavour.
“ The centre will also explore opportunities for tie-ups with established institutions which are thought leaders in the field.”
The inauguration ceremony of the centre witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding each with BGI and APBioNET.
Perdana University was established in February 2011 as a project under the Public-Private Partnership Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Its establishment is in line with the National Higher Education Strategic Plan. It started with the only graduate entry medical programme in the country, offered in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University.
This was followed by a partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, an institution steeped in its academic traditions dating back to the 18th century, to offer an undergraduate medical programme.
In addition to its involvement in the medical field, Perdana University has identified other niche areas including bioinformatics, occupational therapy and international trade to delve into.
These programmes are developed in consultation with leading experts in the field and organisations of international repute.