BSc Minor Omics: Applications, Technologies & Data

Profile

Omics technologies have revolutionised our ways of looking at the relationship between genotype and phenotype. Those technologies are nowadays widely applied to many organisms (bacteria, plants, animals, human) and are key to research in many fields. Omics technologies produce a large amount of data that not only bioinformaticians and data science specialists need to be able to handle and analyse.

This minor offers a learning trajectory for students keen to acquire knowledge and skills about omics technologies, their applications in the different fields of research and their data analysis and interpretation. In addition to technical expertise, students in this program will gain exposure to FAIR data management principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and the fundamental principles of Open Science.

Structured around specific biological interests, this minor program offers a unified track that integrates wet (experimental) and dry (computational) experiments. It guides students through the entire process, from planning and executing experiments to analyzing and interpreting omics data. The goal is to equip students with the ability to address biological questions effectively and generate novel hypotheses.

The compulsory courses make you experience planning, producing and analysing omics data as well as working in a multidisciplinary environment concerning not only the domain topics but also including diverse levels of laboratory and data analysis skills.
RO1 courses allow you to explore the biological questions and application domains of omics technologies based on your interest and background in preparation of the compulsory courses. (HAP31806) Molecular Regulation of Health and Disease, (MIB20306) Microbial Physiology, and (GEN30306) Genetic Analysis Trends and Concepts give the possibility to dive into bacterial, fungal, vegetal, animal and human topics that can be investigated by designing omics experiments.
In the RO2 cluster, you can choose Genomics (ABG30306) if you like to gain command line experience in using bioinformatics tools, while choose Computational Biology (SSB20306) if you like to deepen your insights into the reasoning behind the bioinformatic solutions used to solve biological questions. These courses allow you to gain the technical knowledge that is required in the compulsory courses.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this minor students are expected to be able to:

describe the technologies and experimental strategies used in the different omics fields;
illustrate the applications of omics technologies in different life science domains;
employ laboratory experiments and computational analyses to inform genotype-phenotype characterisation;
devise and communicate strategies for omics data analysis and interpretation;
recommend the appropriate omics technology for the question at hand.

Target group

This minor is aimed at Molecular Life Science (BML) students as well as students coming from other programmes such as Animal Sciences (BAS), Plant Sciences (BPW), Food Technology (BFT) and Nutrition and Health (BVG), in which the domain-specific topics are advanced by the use of “omics”. This minor will offer valuable training to students who wish to enter the master programmes Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Data Science for Food and Health. In addition, students from applied and technical universities that would like to move into a Bioinformatics and Systems Biology MSc would gain the required knowledge to access it at WUR and possibly other universities.

Language

English

Semester

First semester (period 1, 2 and 3)

Programme or thematic

Programme minor