VIJAYAWADA: At a time when bio-technology has lost most of its earlier demand, the gap is filled with the bio-informatics subject promising a lot to the students.

Experts say that the bio-informatics courses have already picked up in metropolitan cities like Chennai and Hyderabad, where many colleges are offering courses with life sciences combinations.

A similar course in BiBC (bioinformatics, biotechnology and computer science) with bio-informatics as the main subject is being offered at the Nalanda Degree College here from last academic year.

Two combinations are being offered in this with bio-informatics and bio-technology as common subjects. One combination has chemistry and the other computer science.

Nalanda College principal M. Anuradha says that the pharmaceutical industry and various companies are looking for candidates with bio-informatics as their key strength.

This subject has got bio-technology and information technology, which are very helpful in drug designing and various other aspects.

She says that if a master's degree in bio-informatics is done after graduation, it will fetch good careers to hardworking students.

One who has done under-graduate degree in BiBC can do M.Sc in any subject of this combination.

M.Sc bio-informatics courses are offered in metropolitan cities like Hyderabad and Chennai as of now.