The School of Data and Sciences (SDS) organized the ‘Bioinformatics Workshop Summer 2023’ on June 15, 2023. The workshop was jointly organized by the Biotechnology Program, Department of Mathematics & Natural Sciences (MNS) and the CS & CSE Programs, Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE), BRAC University. The workshop introduced participants to the principles and applications of bioinformatics.
The workshop consisted of a morning lecture session followed by an evening problem-solving session, allowing attendees to gain theoretical knowledge and practical experience while building teamwork and competitive mindset.
The event started with the Director of the biotechnology program, Dr. Munima Haque, Associate Professor of MNS, SDS, welcoming everyone to the event. During the morning session, experts in the field of bioinformatics delivered engaging presentations on various topics. They covered fundamental concepts of molecular biology and computer science as they relate to bioinformatics/computational biology and how to prepare for research in these fields. The speakers emphasized the importance of bioinformatics in accelerating biological research, enabling scientists to analyze vast amounts of DNA/protein sequence data and extract meaningful insights.
The facilitators included Dr. Md. Abul Hassan Samee, Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine, USA and from the School of Data and Sciences (SDS): Dr. Mahdi M. Moosa, Assistant Professor; Moin Mostakim, Senior Lecturer; Annajiat Alim Rasel, Senior Lecturer; Rafeed Rahman Turjya, Lecturer; Tushar Ahmed Shishir, Lecturer; Kaniz Fatema, Lecturer; and Abid Abrar, Lecturer. Professor A F M Yusuf Haider, Chairperson, MNS was also there to encourage the participants.
In the evening problem-solving session, participants had the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the morning lectures. Divided into small groups, they worked in teams on bioinformatics challenges and data analysis exercises. The workshop organizers provided datasets and software tools commonly used in the field, enabling attendees to practice data manipulation, programming, and analysis. The event attracted almost 150 applicants from Biotechnology, CS, CSE, Microbiology, Pharmacy, etc. programs. 45+ participants were accommodated in the successful event. The organizing team thanks Professor Md. Golam Rabiul Alam, SDS and Dr. Sadia Hamid Kazi, Associate Professor, SDS and Chairperson, CSE for their unwavering support for the interdisciplinary inter-department event aligned with the goal of the School of Data and Sciences which consists of the CSE and MNS Departments.