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bioinformatics

American  
[bahy-oh-in-fer-mat-iks] / ˌbaɪ oʊˌɪn fərˈmæt ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)
  1. the retrieval and analysis of biochemical and biological data using mathematics and computer science, as in the study of genomes.


bioinformatics British  
/ ˌbaɪəʊˌɪnfəˈmætɪks /

noun

  1. the branch of information science concerned with large databases of biochemical or pharmaceutical information

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bioinformatics Scientific  
/ bī′ō-ĭn′fər-măt′ĭks /
  1. Information technology as applied to the life sciences, especially the technology used for the collection and analysis of genomic data.


Etymology

Origin of bioinformatics

First recorded in 1975–80; bio- ( def. ) + informatics ( def. )


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The group combines bioinformatics with clinical research to create diagnostic tools and assess possible therapies.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

"But this turned into a special case that required focused efforts and expertise of several different individuals. This was a complex mystery that required morphological, genetic, deep-sea and bioinformatics expertise to solve."

From Science Daily ● Apr. 27, 2026

However, creating antigens for each cancer type can require extensive genome sequencing or bioinformatics analysis.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2025

Current bioinformatics tools can’t scan this much data all at once, especially for sequences that haven’t yet been assembled into genomes.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 5, 2024

"It was a long and painstaking piece of detective work," says Bernhard Tschitschko, first author of the study and an expert in bioinformatics, "but ultimately, the genome solved many mysteries."

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2024

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