Wesleyan University is developing a program in Integrative Genomic Sciences (IGS) that incorporates the field of bioinformatics into our curriculum and research efforts. The program is intrinsically interdisciplinary, involving faculty and students in the life sciences, physical sciences, information sciences, and philosophy.
At the curriculum level, we are developing a cluster of IGS courses which forms the basis for an undergraduate certificate program and an inter-disciplinary graduate genomic sciences program. Faculty in complementing fields, e.g., biology and computer science, are working together to explore and develop new courses in this emerging field.
At the research level, a number of faculty are incorporating genomic-based approaches into their scientific investigations. As part of this effort, several inter-disciplinary groups of faculty are working on collaborative projects.
The program is supported by grants from the W.M. Keck Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and a Fund for Innovation Grant from Wesleyan University.
Keck funds have supported (i) the hiring of a new faculty member in bioinformatics, and (ii) establishment of a micro-array facility to process micro-chip and slide micro-array gene expression data.
HHMI funds are supporting undergraduate student research in the summer and school year under the joint mentorship of faculty in complementing fields. HHMI is also supporting IGS workshops and symposia.
A Fund for Innovation Grant, and HHMI funds, are supporting the development of new courses in IGS.