The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology has received a five-year, $1.29 million grant to develop a story-driven digital learning platform for bioinformatics and infectious disease. The grant comes from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the NIH through the Science Education Partnerships Awards (SEPA).

The program, called “Filtered,” takes students on a journey of discovery as they are charged with researching a pandemic outbreak of a mysterious, fictional infectious disease. They’re asked to use a simulated bioinformatics program to compare genetic sequences of viruses to determine the ancestral origin of this novel and deadly pathogen.

Bioinformatics has been characterized as a “Bright Outlook Occupation” by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, projected to grow much faster than average over the period 2014-2024, with 100,000 or more projected job openings.

“We start with the need,” said Dr. Neil Lamb, vice president for Educational Outreach at HudsonAlpha. “We found … that it’s already a challenge to hire people in the bioinformatics space. It requires such a unique blend of science and computational backgrounds.”

“It’s a fascinating job field and we knew students would be hooked if they got a chance to experience it for themselves.”

Students can interact on a tablet or mobile device and an online version will also be produced.