North Carolina State University teaches bioinformatics through its Bioinformatics Research Center, established in 2000 at the Raleigh campus. Courses include information science, statistics and genomics. The university offers graduate degrees in bioinformatics. The focus of study is to understand all aspects of human and plant genetics.
Iowa State University offers graduate degrees in bioinformatics. The program is offered through the university's biology, mathematics and computer science departments; students take courses from each department that together make up the bioinformatics curriculum. The program, which has 60 students, is coordinated by the university's Center for Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics.
The field of bioinformatics became a lot more popular after the success of the Human Genome Project. The field was previously considered to be the domain of computer enthusiasts and biochemists, but with the spread of computers, it has become more mainstream. Studying bioinformatics can lead to jobs such as designing drugs, developing software and analyzing data.
Bioinformatics graduates are employed in several economic sectors. The pharmaceutical industry has been the largest employer of bioinformatics graduates. Biotech companies also need workers with these skills.