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Are bioscience and lifescience the same things? I am a little bit confused about it. If not, then what is the difference between the two?

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  • $\begingroup$ they're pretty much the same thing in my mind - bio means "life" and biology is the study of life. $\endgroup$
    – MattDMo
    Jul 3, 2013 at 14:46
  • $\begingroup$ I agree with @MattDMo, they're the same thing. $\endgroup$
    – user560
    Jul 3, 2013 at 17:10
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    $\begingroup$ I agree with everyone. Also, you originally tagged this question bioinformatics - that is not the same. $\endgroup$
    – blep
    Jul 3, 2013 at 17:16

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I agree with the comments and largely see them as the same thing, and many dictionaries would probably agree with this. However, in practical use (from my experience) Life science is used somewhat more broadly (everything from ecology and agricultural science to genomics and biochemisty), while Bioscience is more often applied to "whiter" lab-based biology and more technical applications (biotechnology, genetics, etc.). Personally, I would feel comfortable to label my research as life science but a bit more uneasy with bioscience. However, the terms are so vague that I wouldn't pass judgement on the content of research just based on these labels.

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  • $\begingroup$ Whiter? What do you mean by whiter? $\endgroup$
    – blep
    Jul 3, 2013 at 22:40
  • $\begingroup$ Lab coat (white) vs. field clothes (green), not caucasian ;). $\endgroup$ Jul 3, 2013 at 22:41
  • $\begingroup$ hah. I've only seen one person wearing a lab coat lately, and it was an undergrad. No one here does field work, either. :P $\endgroup$
    – blep
    Jul 3, 2013 at 23:29
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    $\begingroup$ @dd3 Wearing a lab coat in a lab is a sensible, if minimal, way of protecting your clothes and body against chemicals, radioactivity and biological agents. Not wearing one is neither clever, professional, nor, in some countries, legal. Certainly in my University students are not allowed into teaching laboratories without one. The same probably applies to research laboratories under British Health and Safety regulations. Your comment does you no credit. $\endgroup$
    – David
    May 4, 2016 at 8:20

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