Overview of the Department
Department of Biosciences and Informatics / Faculty of Science and Technology
The department of Biosciences and Informatics was established in April 2002 at Keio University. Our department’s research activity centers on solving puzzles about life systems through physical description and molecular theoretical interpretation of biology and molecular biology. These solutions are then explained in terms of informatics. Students can systematically study biology from introductory courses to advanced subjects, including biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, embryology, immunology, and genome technology among others. In addition, the study of fundamental principles of physics and chemistry are required to understand enzyme reactions, cell recognition by oligosaccharides and neuronal communication, which play substantial roles in the systems of life. Students also study data mining and pattern recognition, as well as subjects in informatics, as tools for comprehending biological phenomena and functions. The curriculum of our department is exceptionally extensive and the training unique and progressive.
To perform research in biosciences and informatics, our department has modern facilities including DNA sequencers for Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing, cell sorters, fluorescent image analyzers, a micro-manipulation system for cell injection, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and other valuable instruments. Our faculty also has “The Central Service Facilities for Research”. Furthermore, we have access to cultivation rooms, the radioisotope research center, a variety of electronic microscopy, atomic force microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance apparatuses.
Overview of Graduate School
Center for Biosciences and Informatics / School of Fundamental Science and Technology / Graduate School of Science and Technology
A new field that integrates wet biology, represented by molecular and cellular biology, and the computer sciences is considered to be one of the most important in the life sciences in the 21st century. With the development of extensive and comprehensive measurement systems for important biomolecules such as nucleic acid, protein, and sugar chains, and the interactions among them, a staggering volume of information is rapidly being accumulated. Our prime task is, therefore, in the development of human resources capable of analyzing the processes of life from the viewpoint of systems biology and informatics. In the Center for Biosciences and Informatics, we are working on a wide range of subjects including utilization of life-related functions and screening of new medicines, in addition to clarifying the processes of life.
Educational Goal
The aim of our department’s curriculum is to train students as a new generation of scientists and engineers in biology and biotechnology who will flourish all over the world. We expect that they will have new viewpoints on the life sciences, which are different from those of traditional biologists. For that purpose, our department offers programs that encourage students to become competent both in experimentation and the use of computers.