Introduction

The One Year Advanced Diploma Course in Bioinformatics is being offered at the Bioinformatics Centre, School of Biotechnology, Madurai Kamaraj University from 1996. Bioinformatics is an emerging area arising from the demands of information analysis and management in the areas of biology and biotechnology.  The growth of computer science and biotechnology in the country and other parts of the world has spawned research group and industries. Bioinformatics, which involves diverse aspects of molecular modeling, macromolecular sequence analysis, online database access, bibliographic searches and software development is relevant and useful for the researchers to do topical and profitable work.

 The successful completion of rough drafting the Human Genome Sequences and sequences of several other eukaryotic genomes has paved way for a new dimension in bioinformatics towards Genomics and Proteomics era in Biotechnology.The effective use of bioinformatics tools for applications and analysis over the Genome-Proteome era is expected to create significant job opportunities in India. Against this backdrop the Distributed Information Centre, at the School of Biotechnology, Madurai Kamaraj University running an Advanced Diploma Course in Bioinformatics keeping in mind a better interaction  between  University  research / man-power training and industrial R & D.