A total of 250 students, divided into 28 teams, participated in the event, each presenting a unique research topic. Due to curriculum changes, two batches of Biology students—those from 2022 and 2023—took part in this course.

Interestingly, this course is not only mandatory for SLST students, but is also available as an elective for students from the School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (SEEI).

The Dean of SLST, Prof. Endah Sulistyawati, S.Si., Ph.D., emphasized the growing value of genomic data, stating, “Genomic data holds immense potential for applications in health, agriculture, food, and the environment. SLST is committed to contributing through research and preparing skilled professionals in this field.”

The success of this event was largely driven by the efforts of two course lecturers, Husna Nugrahapraja, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D., and Popi Septiani, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D.

Popi expressed her hope that the event would educate participants—including students, researchers, and the public—on the applications of bioinformatics in various life science fields, such as biology, medicine, agriculture, and environmental studies.

Additionally, she aimed for the event to foster collaboration between academia, researchers, and industry in developing bioinformatics-based solutions to challenges in life sciences. She also hoped it would inspire and create opportunities for young people to explore bioinformatics and related fields, opening career prospects in this area.

^{Students explain their posters to other teams and visitors. (Documented by ITB Public Relations Reporter/Dina Avanza Mardiana)}

Students had been preparing their major assignments for about a month, creating reports and posters that were exhibited at the event. After guest lectures by Adi Pancoro, Ph.D., and Satria A. Kautsar, Ph.D., each team representative had the opportunity to pitch their project to SLST stakeholders and judges. A poster evaluation session followed, during which judges reviewed each team's poster and provided feedback and scores. At the end of the event, the teams with the best posters in each category were announced: Biology (Undergraduate), Microbiology (Undergraduate), and Biotechnology (Postgraduate).

^{Award ceremony for the best poster winners. (Documented by ITB Public Relations Reporter/Dina Avanza Mardiana)}

Husna Nugrahapraja, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D., a lecturer from the Genetics and Molecular Biotechnology Expertise Group, explained that students were not assigned specific research topics. The main objective of the event was to introduce and expose students to this relatively new field. However, most teams chose health-related topics over other areas such as energy, food, or the environment.

"Bioinformatics is a rapidly evolving field in Indonesia and will continue to grow. Therefore, it is important to motivate students to explore the vast opportunities this field offers, both for SLST students and for those from other faculties who are eager to learn something beyond their discipline," he said.

The project-based learning approach at SLST equips students with the skills to solve real-world problems using their scientific knowledge. Prof. Endah stated, "If industries from varying fields are looking for talent in bioinformatics, SLST is fully prepared to provide its students."

Reporter: Dina Avanza Mardiana (Microbiology Student, 2022)
Translator: Nafi’ah Rahni Nugrahanti (Civil Engineering Student, 2023)