The first event of the “Career Options in the Molecular World” conference series organized by the Istanbul Civilization University (IMU) Genoteam Community, the “Journey to Bioinformatics” seminar, was held in the Blue Hall of the Central Classroom Building on December 23, 2024. The event, which focused on the effects of developments in molecular biology and bioinformatics on medicine and human health, attracted great interest from students studying in biology-based undergraduate departments at our University and other universities, and especially those who want to pursue a career in bioinformatics.
The seminar, in which Dr. Lecturer Saliha Ece Acuner, Dr. Lecturer Onur Emre Onat, Dr. Lecturer Elif Kubat Öktem and Dr. Lecturer Talip Zengin were speakers, addressed career opportunities in the field of bioinformatics and the effects of technological developments on biotechnology and bioinformatics. The speakers described developments ranging from the historical turning points of biotechnology to the invention of the first optical lenses and the invention of the microscope, emphasizing how these historical discoveries enabled the deepening of biological research.
The seminar also emphasized the importance of determining the structure of DNA and the completion of the Human Genome Project in the evolution of bioinformatics. Participants gained detailed information on genetic heterogeneity and the development of personalized medicine. In addition, the genetic basis of diseases and new approaches in this field were discussed in detail. It was emphasized that single-gene diseases were previously a more studied subject, but today diseases are genetically heterogeneous and have different phenotypes. It was stated that the effects of genetic variants may vary from person to person and that the same variant may cause disease in some individuals while having no effect in others.
The event emphasized the complexity of the genome structure and its individual specificity, and emphasized the importance of reducing societal level analyses to individual levels in the future of bioinformatics. The event, where participants had the opportunity to learn more about developments in the field of bioinformatics, contributed to the career development of students in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, and provided them with a free vocational training opportunity.
GALLERY
