About

Computers are used to gather, store, analyze and integrate biological and genetic information which can then be applied to gene-based drug discovery and development. Recent years have seen an explosive growth in biological data. Large sequencing projects are producing increasing quantities of nucleotide sequences. The contents of nucleotide databases are doubling in size approximately every 14 months. The need for Bioinformatics capabilities has been precipitated by the explosion of genomic information resulting from the Human Genome Project. The goal of this project "determination of the sequence of the entire human genome (approximately three billion base pairs)" will be reached by the year 2003. The science of Bioinformatics, which is the melding of molecular biology with computer science, is essential to the use of genomic information in understanding human diseases and in the identification of new molecular targets for drug discovery.

Bioinformatics, sometimes, is used interchangeably with the term Computational Biology. Precisely, Computational Biology is defined as the systematic development and application of computing systems and computational solution techniques to models of biological phenomena. Biological sequence analysis has existed as a niche on the edge of other well-established research areas - molecular biology, physics, mathematics, and computer science. The possibilities which lie in using the computer as a tool in obtaining understanding of, and manipulating, genomes and other biological macromolecules, depend on the quality of the collaborations which are established in the field. In the next century it is expected that the research will have a strong impact on conceptions of the micro- and macroscopic characters of genomes, the relation between individual and species, and the interplay between man and the evolutionary process.

Brief History



1989 - 1995 Service provider with facilities for sequence retrieval and analysis and abstract services
1995
 Made into autonomous center of university
1998
 Started molecular modeling facility
2000
 Advanced Post Graduate Diploma in Bioinformatics
Integrated into School of Information Technology
2001
 Email and internet access
2001
 PhD Program in Bioinformatics
DBT Center Excellence in Bioinformatics
2006
 M.Tech Program in Bioinformatics
2009
 Pre-Ph.D program in Bioinformatics


The Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (CCBB), formerly known as the Bioinformatics Center, offers credit courses for  M.Sc (Life Sciences), M.Sc ( Biotechnology) and Ph.D.  (Biotechnology) students of the University. The main objectives is to expose students to  the Bioinformatics tools and Information resources available for Molecular Biology in particular. Lectures are supplemented by hands on practical. Right from basic concepts in Computers, internet to analysis of primary sequences (DNA and protein) and protein tertiary structures are  taught. Classes are conducted using modern Educational Technology aids such as Video -Data projectors, Over Head Projectors, Computer based Training kits . Students are exposed to  popular Sequence and structure analysis software packages such as  Tripos, Accelrys etc. These credit courses are  conducted by CCBB staff. In addition . Experts are invited to deliver special lectures.

In 2000, the centre has started a Advanced Post Graduate Diploma Program in Bioinformatics. A national level examination is conducted by JNU from which the meritorious students clear an interview to get admission in the Diploma program. Four batches have completed and are pursuing Ph.D in India or abroad, or work in the Bioinformatics R&D and Industry. This program is on hold since 2006.
At present center is running M.Tech (Computational & Systems Biology), Pre-Ph.D, and Ph.D program in Bioinformatices, Computational Biology and Systems Biology.

CCBB assist biologists:

1. To retrieve bibliographic references, sequences and structural data.
2. To analyze the sequences and structure data.
3. Imparting skills in bioinformatics.
4. Providing computational facilities for research purposes.

    CCBB is a part of the National wide Information System called BTIS and have linkages with other Bioinformatics Centres using high speed connectivity.