Bioinformatics Specialist

Bioinformatics is combining biology and computers. Data derived from various studies (DNA associated experiments, for example) is gathered in the computers. Software is in charge for data organization, manipulation and final analysis. Data mining is useful way to collect lot of publically available and jet relevant data that could be used in different experimental stages (for comparison or quick information extraction) or to help merge data from different sources. Programming skills are necessary for software and database manufacture and maintenance.

Certification:

A bioinformatics specialist is a result of an extensive formal training. The first critical step is the completion of an undergraduate program, majoring in biology; the prospective bioinformatics specialist must take courses in computer science apart from advanced mathematics and life sciences . A bioinformatics specialist is required to have completed one or more advanced degree programs. There are Master of Science courses and Ph.D in Computational Biology or Bioinformatics programs offered that a prospective bioinformatics specialist can aim at pursing in order to prepare for their career. An entry-level candidate could consider a graduate degree in engineering or computer science. These programs usually run for tenures ranging from two to five years.

Extensive formal education is required to become a bioinformatics specialist. According to the BLS, an undergraduate major in biology is an important first step, with courses taken in computer science in addition to the life sciences and advanced mathematics .

One or more advanced degrees are also usually required. Several universities offer a Master of Science or a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics or Computational Biology, degrees which prepare the would-be specialist well. A graduate degree in computer science or engineering is also applicable. These programs can take two to five years of study to complete.

Required Skills:

Bioinformatics is all about the way biological information is acquired, managed, structured and communicated. It is data management to the nth degree, combined with communications technology and scientific knowledge, with a dash of computer science thrown in.

Bioinformatics is a highly specialized, technical field. You need a background in both biology and in information management, as well as specialized skills specific to the field of bioinformatics. Here are ten of those skills that it’s good to have.

• ·         Good communications skills. As a bioinformatics specialist, you will be communicating complex data to people with a variety of backgrounds. It’s very much like being a translator. You have to know the languages involved, and you have to be an expert communicator in order to help people understand each other.
• ·         Good teamwork skills. Bioinformatics is not for lone rangers. Researchers can sometimes work independently, but bioinformatics is about information and communication. You will be working on a team with people who have diverse backgrounds and differing areas of expertise. Good teamwork skills are essential.
• ·         The ability to multitask. You will need to be able to handle several complex tasks at a time. This can be a high pressure job with deadlines that have to be met. The ability to multitask will help you manage your job with less stress.
• ·         Flexibility. You may be moved from one project to another as your skills are needed. You may have to put aside a project you are working on to help someone with an urgent request. You may need to stop what you are doing and explain a computer model to a scientist. Flexibility is a key skill to have in bioinformatics.
• ·         A working knowledge of biology and its applications. You don’t have to be an expert in biology, but you do need to know what kind of information you are working with. It is especially useful to know about molecular biology and genetics and to understand recent genetic research.
• ·         Proficiency in computer languages. You need to know basic programming languages like JAVA and HTML, SQL and PERL. Most bioinformatics programming utilizes PERL.
• ·         Skill in data mining. Being able to extract data from multiple resources is invaluable.
• ·         Good data visualization skills. You’ll need to be able to take complex data and interpret it into models and other ways that make it understandable for biologists and other team members.
• ·         Experience with bioinformatics tools, such as Blast, BLAT,clustalw, Bioedit,T-coffee sequence analysis algorithms and clustering tools.
• ·         Experience in using bioinformatics resources, such as the UCSC genome browser and Entrez. You’ll need to be familiar with the National Center for Bioinformatics (NCBI) and the database and  Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre  and analysis tools available on their website.