המסלול בביואינפורמטיקה

Bioinformatics - MSc Study

 

Organizational framework

 

The program is held jointly by the Faculty of Life Sciences, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Exact Sciences (School of Computer Sciences), and the student advisors in the program will come from these faculties. As a rule, the faculty and administrative affiliation of the students will be determined by the affiliation of the primary advisor (deviation from this rule is possible, at the student's request and with the authorization of the program committee). A committee will be established for the program, with a representative from each of the three units, to serve as an admissions and steering committee.

 

Admission of students:

The program will be open to graduates of the Combined major – Life Sciences and Computer Sciences with specialization on Bioinformatics, with an average grade of at least 85.

Graduates of the dual degree biology - computer sciences program and graduates of other dual degree programs with an average grade of 85 and above will be admitted on condition that they pass supplementary courses as required by the program admissions committee with a grade of 80 or above in each of the courses. The supplementary courses will include the following courses from the undergraduate program in bioinformatics: laboratory on bioinformatics tools, computational genomics, and another elective core course. In addition, supplementary studies will be required in accordance with the applicant's background, as detailed below:

  • Graduates of computer sciences and another life science course, chemistry or medicine will be required to make up the following four basic courses in life sciences: biochemistry (enzymology and metabolism), cell biology, introduction to molecular biology, and genetics.
     
  • Graduates of biology or medicine and another course tangential to computer sciences (physics, mathematics, statistics and engineering) will have to make up the following four basic courses in computer sciences: software 1, data structure, computational models, and algorithms. In addition, knowledge equivalent to the material studied in the discrete mathematics and extended introduction to computer sciences courses will be required. Students lacking this knowledge will be required to make it up ahead of their studies.

 

Students will be required to make up at least four of these courses (basic courses and bioinformatics courses) during the first semester of their studies. Until meeting this condition, students will have the status of "conditional applicants", and afterwards will be defined as regular students in the program.  Making up the remaining courses can be done in the course of the master's degree studies, and will be a condition for going on to the second year of the program.

 

For all students admitted into the program, passing the "computational complexity theory" course (or an equivalent course in another institution) with a grade of 80 or above will be a prerequisite for going on to the second year of the program.

 

Students will be admitted by the program committee on the basis of grades, letters of recommendation, and as necessary, a personal interview. Admission is conditional on the agreement of a faculty member in the field to serve as advisor. Admission is also conditional on upholding the preliminary requirements of the department with which the advisor is affiliated.

 

 

Duration of studies

The duration of studies for a master's degree is four semesters, and at most six semesters. Only in special cases will the master's degree teaching committee consider allowing any deviation from this period of time.

 

Final thesis

The proposed degree includes submission of a final paper (graduate thesis), its presentation at a seminar, and an oral examination. In addition to the primary advisor, it is recommended to add an additional advisor (or at least a consultant), so that the student has guidance on both the computational aspect and the biological-medical aspect.

 

Final examination

The final examination includes the thesis topic and subjects in fields tangential to the subject of the paper. The examination is oral, in the presence of the advisor and two other examiners. The grades of the thesis and final examination will be decided by the advisor and the two examiners.

 

Final grade for the degree

The final grade for the master's degree is made up as follows:

  • Weight of course and seminar grades - 45%
  • Weight of thesis grade - 40%
  • Weight of final examination grade - 15%

 

Track study program

Studies will include courses, research work, submission of a written graduate thesis, and sitting a final examination.

The required courses will be made up from four divisions. Each division will comprise a number of courses (not all the courses will be held every year), where students will be required to study a total of 30 semester hours, subject to the following limitations on the number of credits from each division:

 

  • From division 1 (computer sciences and statistics) - at least 6 s/h
  • From division 2 (life sciences / medicine) - at least 6 s/h
  • From division 3 (designated courses) three courses must be taken (a total of 9 s/h) and a joint seminar in bioinformatics (2 s/h)
  • From division 4 (courses from other units) a maximum of 3 s/h may be taken (up to 5 s/h for students studying up to 2 s/h in a research seminar)

 

In addition, students may study up to 4 semester hours in a research seminar as required by the advisor.

1. Courses in computer sciences: at least 6 semester hours, and at least 3 semester hours in each of the two groups, A and B. With the approval of the advisor and the committee, other courses may be taken from the list of graduate courses in the School of Computer Sciences.

 

A. Courses in machine learning, data mining, statistics, and artificial neural networks:

Scope in s/h

Course name

Course no.

3

Machine learning: Foundations

0368.4034

3

Identification of patterns

0368.4016

3

Data mining

0365.4240

3

Data mining

0368.4225

3

Artificial neural networks

0368.3324

3 + 2 ex.

Statistical theory

0365.2103

3

Advanced statistical theory

0365.4133

3

Multi-variable analysis

0365.4423

3

Neurological calculation

0368.4149

 

 

B. Courses in algorithms:

Scope in s/h

Course name

Course no.

3

Analysis of algorithms

0368.4222

3

Algorithmic methods

0368.4139

3

Approximation algorithms

0368.4042

3

Computational geometry

0368.4211

3

Scientific calculation

0368.4226

3

Advanced topics in data structure

0368.4821

 

With regard to computer science courses, please see the computer sciences bulletin.

 

2. Courses in life sciences / medicine (at least 6 semester hours):

 

Life science students will take a safety course in the first semester of their studies.

In addition, courses in life sciences and medicine should be chosen from the courses detailed below, other than one course of a scope of up to 3 semester hours, which can be chosen from among the elective courses in the third year undergraduate course in biology, or from the advanced third year courses in the Faculty of Medicine, or from the graduate courses. A course that overlaps a course studied for the undergraduate degree or as part of the supplementary requirements may not be taken.  With the approval of the advisor and the committee, other courses may be taken from the list of graduate courses or elective courses in the Faculty of Life Sciences or the School of Medicine.

 

Course no.

Course name

Scope in s/h

0455.3798

Signaling pathways controlling cell differentiation, cellgrowth and apoptosis

3

0455.3032         

Molecular biology of infectious diseases from a bacterial source

2

0455.3682           

Genetics of microorganisms and control of genetic expression

4

0455.3360      

Genetic engineering

3

0455.3034

Molecular virology of animal viruses

3

0455.3237      

Introduction to neurobiology

4

0455.2688

General immunology

4

0455.3035

Human molecular genetics

2

0421.4129

Advanced molecular biology: the world of RNA – not given in 2015/16

3

0452.3114

Advanced cellular biology A

2

0452.1114

Advanced cellular biology B

2

0453.3394

From DNA to population

3

0104.2505

Introduction to pharmacology

6

0111.2701

Human evolution

2

0117.5618 

Introduction to disease theory

4

0114.6545

Genetics in the post-genome age

1

0114.6592

New horizons in RNA processing

2

0111.2118

Cellular biology

3

0114.6570

Selected issues in developmental biology and cancer

2

0141.2007            

Intracellular movement: molecular mechanisms

2

0141.2005

Cell death in processes of development

2

0116.5926

Molecular neurobiology

4

0455.2665

Biochemistry laboratory

4

0455.2626

General genetics - laboratory

4

0455.3465

Molecular virology of animal viruses

4

0421.3815

Modelling of biological systems – not given in 2015/16

3

 

 

With regard to life sciences (04...) and medicine (01...) courses, please see the relevant bulletins.

 

3. Designated courses in bioinformatics (joint bioinformatics seminar of a scope of 2 semester hours + 3 courses of a total scope of 9 semester hours):

 

  • a. 0368.4607 - joint bioinformatics seminar - the seminar will be given jointly by two lecturers, one from computer sciences and one from life sciences or medicine. In this framework, the students will present innovative scientific papers and discuss them in class.
     
  • b. 0368.4137 - Analysis of gene expression, DNA chips and genetic networks (computer sciences)
     
  • c. 0368.4212 - Analysis of biological networks (computer sciences)
     
  • d. 0368.4168 - Computational Human Genetics (computer sciences)
     
  • e. 0455.3072 - Genetics in the age of personal medicine (life sciences)
     
  • f.  Core course not taken in the framework of the supplementary courses or undergraduate degree (list of core courses from the undergraduate program in bioinformatics:  computational genomics, molecular evolution, structural computational bioinformatics, computational systems biology).

 

 4. Courses from other units (at most 3 semester hours. Students taking up to 2 credits in a research seminar may study up to 5 semester hours from this group):

 

Scope in s/h

Course name

Faculty

Course no.

2

Patent law                              

Law

1411.5971

2

Introduction to the philosophy of science

Humanities

0618.1041

2

Organizational behavior for business administration

Management

1231.2212

2

Intellectual property and the pharmaceutical industry

Law

1411.6512

2

Intellectual property in biomedical engineering

Engineering

0509.2938

 

 

These courses can be taken by students in the program with no preliminary requirements. With the approval of the advisor and committee, other courses in this category may be taken.

 

List of potential advisors:

 

Faculty of Medicine:

 

Prof. Karen Avraham

karena@tauex.tau.ac.il

Dr. Rani Elkon

ranel@post.tau.ac.il

Prof. Gil Ast

gilast@tauex.tau.ac.il

Prof. Ruth Nussinov     

ruthnu@tauex.tau.ac.il

Prof. Eitan Ruppin      

ruppin1@tauex.tau.ac.il

Dr. Noam Shomron

nshomron@post.tau.ac.il

Prof. Yossi Shilo        

yossish@post.tau.ac.il

 

           

Faculty of Life Sciences:

 

Prof. Nir Ben-Tal

Prof. Yehudit Berman

nirb@tauex.tau.ac.il

jberman@post.tau.ac.il

Prof. Uri Gofna

urigo@tauex.tau.ac.il

Prof. Eran Halperin    

heran@post.tau.ac.il

Prof. Danny Chaimovitz    

dannyc@tauex.tau.ac.il

Dr. Iftach Nachman    

iftachn@post.tau.ac.il

Prof. Tal Popko               

talp@tauex.tau.ac.il

Prof. Martin Kupiec

Dr. Irit Gat-Viks

Dr. Itay Mayroz

Dr. Adi Stern            

martin@post.tau.ac.il

iritgv@post.tau.ac.il

itaymay@post.tau.ac.il

sternadi@post.tau.ac.il

 

 

 

School of Computer Sciences:

 

Prof. Dan Halperin          

danha@tauex.tau.ac.il

Prof. Eran Halperin 

heran@post.tau.ac.il

Prof. Haim Wolfson 

wolfson@tauex.tau.ac.il

Prof. Eitan Ruppin      

ruppin1@tauex.tau.ac.il

Prof. Benny Chor  

bchor@tauex.tau.ac.il

Prof. Ron Shamir  

shamir@cs.tau.ac.il

Prof. Roded Sharan 

roded@post.tau.ac.il

 

 

 

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