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What it takes to enter the world of Bioinformatics
Posted On February 2, 2006 by Rose Mary filed under Miscellaneous
Before you even realize it, bioengineering will have stepped out of the lab and into boutique shops, customizing who you are and what you look like, replacing the beauty salon. If, that is, you have not already been "engineered" to be born perfect, free from disease, free from physical deformity and defect.
Technology is certainly integral to this change. For example, innovations like bioinformatic systems, a software that organizes and interprets genetic data without the need for human intervention, can help researchers do the job in minutes.
This creates a huge need for skilled engineers, software professionals and technicians. Well, if you are a software professional or if you aspire to be one, you must look at the bioinfomatics field. All you need is to be talented and motivated. Bioinfomatics has a rapidly growing, exciting and profitable future. If job opportunities are what you are looking at, then this section will definitely help you. Read on to learn what the future could hold for you.
Even as biotechnology and bioinfomatics advance, there has emerged a new need for skilled, trained professionals who can handle the complexity of this evolving branch of life sciences. Industry insiders tell us that a lot of opportunities have sprung up for IT professionals in this virgin field of knowledge. There are a variety of jobs in this field. But we will cover only those jobs and skill sets that are relevant to the IT industry.
As mentioned, even though biotechnology has traditionally been a research-dominated area, the demarcation of where technology ends and research starts is rapidly being obliterated, creating a number of jobs for IT professionals within the wide umbrella of Life Sciences.
The potential for IT in this area is infinite. The knowledge bases needed for most of these jobs include those of molecular biology, prog-ramming, mathematics and statistics. Discussed below are rough categ-orizations of possible options.
Data Management
Data management means a couple of things in terms of IT manpower needs. An enormous amount of biological data that have to be sorted out before anything revolution-ary can take place. However, the pharma-ceutical companies lack the resources, know-how and expertise to mine this data - which demands technical expertise, new software applications and new innovative platforms.
Software Engineer, Informatics
This exciting position means being responsible for the design, development and implementation of bioinformatic projects. Being a computer science professional is a great help. If you love using relational databases like Oracle, Sybase or SQL, you have a bonus. Strong object-oriented design and development skills in Java or C++ would be a great help.
Software Engineer, Bio-informatics
In this post also, you will be responsible for design, development and implementation of bioinfor-matics software. Strong object-oriented design and development skills in Java or C++ along with a knowledge of ORACLE PL/SQL, XML, middleware or application servers are a plus.
Support Engineers
These individuals work closely with customers to manage and extend the software at the customer's site. Customers specify requirements that meet their specialized needs. Support Engineers then integrate the system within the customer's informatics environment, and perform other tasks as needed to ensure the customer's satisfaction. Be sure to have development knowledge and an understanding of object-oriented programming in either Java or C++. Knowledge of ORACLE, SQL, Sybase is a plus.
Quality Engineer
A Quality Engineer will be responsible for data analysis and QC of sequencing and mapping information, supporting production for regular releases and contributing to the development of new processes. Familiarity with sequen-cing analysis tools such as BLAST and FastA is desired. Other desired skills are Perl and Shell pro-gramming, Oracle/SQL, and UNIX computing
environment, especially vi/Emacs.
Programmer/Analyst
The job profile entails developing, testing and implementing bioinfomatics database/user tools, utilities and applications. You will be needed to develop novel database software, participate in the development of user tools for data query, incorporate and implement tools/applications such as visualization tools, reporting tools and computational algorithms. Knowledge of UNIX operating environment and database management system like SQL, Sybase and Oracle is a plus. Knowledge of user-application software, such as PC database packages, spreadsheets and word processing programs would also be helpful.
At the higher appointment level, knowledge of structured query language, scripting capabilities and advanced internal manipulations of either database or operating system, ope-rating system commands, database conventions and tools, communications protocols and system utilities will help.
Data Mining
Data mining is another option that can be looked at. This is a job that needs browsing through a set of documents or an extensive database to detect the information required and use it the best way or to present it to the client.
Graphic Designers
Have we forgotten the creative graphics designers? They are as important in this field as anyone else is.Who would create the DNA graphics and show the analyses and detection in a way that evryone would understand.
Most Wanted Skills
If you take a closer look, it's another world of computers. Most popular programming languages required for bioinfomatics have been MS Visual C++, Java and Visual Basic. Among the operating systems, Windows, Unix and Linux have been popular. Oracle has always been a step above in the field of bioinfomatics, where maintaining databases are concerned. The UNIX operating system is the workhorse of molecular biology. UNIX is likely to be here for the foreseeable future. First of all, it is getting-in the form of LINUX-increasing market share for servers of all kinds. The reasons are stability and that UNIX is already a standard. Indeed, all the other operating systems are, to a greater or lesser degree, derived from UNIX. So being really facile with UNIX is a very good thing for anybody who does anything with computers. For bioinfomatics, Unix will continue to be the workhorse.
In this field, the browser is the king because everyone does HTML or the progeny of HTML. That way, it doesn't matter what operating system you have. The only other major factor is power for the producers and convenience for the users. That is the reason why PERL has become so popular. It now seems that everyone involved underestimates how much effort it takes to learn the language of biology. Unix, PERL and C all seem to be easier to learn.
For all the job profiles, a bachelor's degree and sufficient computer skills would suffice. An engineer's degree would be an added bonus. If you have ample work experience apart from the educational qualification, then there's nothing like it.
In addition, ERP software packages such as SAP, Oracle Applications and BAAN are not tailored for pharmaceutical/life science com-panies. In the absence of custom software, most companies are developing homegrown software to meet their unique needs. Some of the hot areas that IT professionals can train themselves in are PERL, ORACLE, PL/SQL, C, JAVA, EJB, Weblogic application servers, data modeling, object modeling, system analysis and design and project management.
Salaries are comparable and an advanced post-graduate degree is not required. In product development, where specific applications are developed for life sciences companies, the requirements are for advanced degrees in specific areas of expertise in software, firmware and hardware functions utilized for developing products.Other opportunities lie in new product development, quality assurance issues, testing and process analysis, etc.
Money Matters
Industry insiders tell us that salary is a function of education and experience, but most engineers and programmers start at roughly the same figures as professionals in pure IT companies. The salary can range from $50 K to $70 K for entry-level jobs and beyond. Stock options are an added attraction for people who join hot startups in the field. Once people have paid their dues to career and industry, they can generally make it somewhere in the six-figure range.
Conclusion
Your peers will not be other programmers as in an IBM or a Cisco but researchers who will rely on you to lead the way. Here, the pace and needs are almost identical to the high-tech industry.Opportunities for IT prof-essionals in life sciences will keep growing, as technology and life sciences become inseparable entities. Even today, most of the projects in life sciences are so intrinsically based on technology that the career boom is going to continue.
A clear indication of this trend is that many mainstream companies are making huge investments in biotechnology and life sciences. Companies like IBM, Agilent and Motorola that are on top are investing heavily in developing their expertise in this virgin area. Maybe in the future, as the distinction between technology and life sciences fades further, there will be no telling the two apart.We do hope that this section helped you find your exciting software career in a noble and a challenging medical or biological world.
Technology is certainly integral to this change. For example, innovations like bioinformatic systems, a software that organizes and interprets genetic data without the need for human intervention, can help researchers do the job in minutes.
This creates a huge need for skilled engineers, software professionals and technicians. Well, if you are a software professional or if you aspire to be one, you must look at the bioinfomatics field. All you need is to be talented and motivated. Bioinfomatics has a rapidly growing, exciting and profitable future. If job opportunities are what you are looking at, then this section will definitely help you. Read on to learn what the future could hold for you.
Even as biotechnology and bioinfomatics advance, there has emerged a new need for skilled, trained professionals who can handle the complexity of this evolving branch of life sciences. Industry insiders tell us that a lot of opportunities have sprung up for IT professionals in this virgin field of knowledge. There are a variety of jobs in this field. But we will cover only those jobs and skill sets that are relevant to the IT industry.
As mentioned, even though biotechnology has traditionally been a research-dominated area, the demarcation of where technology ends and research starts is rapidly being obliterated, creating a number of jobs for IT professionals within the wide umbrella of Life Sciences.
The potential for IT in this area is infinite. The knowledge bases needed for most of these jobs include those of molecular biology, prog-ramming, mathematics and statistics. Discussed below are rough categ-orizations of possible options.
Data Management
Data management means a couple of things in terms of IT manpower needs. An enormous amount of biological data that have to be sorted out before anything revolution-ary can take place. However, the pharma-ceutical companies lack the resources, know-how and expertise to mine this data - which demands technical expertise, new software applications and new innovative platforms.
Software Engineer, Informatics
This exciting position means being responsible for the design, development and implementation of bioinformatic projects. Being a computer science professional is a great help. If you love using relational databases like Oracle, Sybase or SQL, you have a bonus. Strong object-oriented design and development skills in Java or C++ would be a great help.
Software Engineer, Bio-informatics
In this post also, you will be responsible for design, development and implementation of bioinfor-matics software. Strong object-oriented design and development skills in Java or C++ along with a knowledge of ORACLE PL/SQL, XML, middleware or application servers are a plus.
Support Engineers
These individuals work closely with customers to manage and extend the software at the customer's site. Customers specify requirements that meet their specialized needs. Support Engineers then integrate the system within the customer's informatics environment, and perform other tasks as needed to ensure the customer's satisfaction. Be sure to have development knowledge and an understanding of object-oriented programming in either Java or C++. Knowledge of ORACLE, SQL, Sybase is a plus.
Quality Engineer
A Quality Engineer will be responsible for data analysis and QC of sequencing and mapping information, supporting production for regular releases and contributing to the development of new processes. Familiarity with sequen-cing analysis tools such as BLAST and FastA is desired. Other desired skills are Perl and Shell pro-gramming, Oracle/SQL, and UNIX computing
environment, especially vi/Emacs.
Programmer/Analyst
The job profile entails developing, testing and implementing bioinfomatics database/user tools, utilities and applications. You will be needed to develop novel database software, participate in the development of user tools for data query, incorporate and implement tools/applications such as visualization tools, reporting tools and computational algorithms. Knowledge of UNIX operating environment and database management system like SQL, Sybase and Oracle is a plus. Knowledge of user-application software, such as PC database packages, spreadsheets and word processing programs would also be helpful.
At the higher appointment level, knowledge of structured query language, scripting capabilities and advanced internal manipulations of either database or operating system, ope-rating system commands, database conventions and tools, communications protocols and system utilities will help.
Data Mining
Data mining is another option that can be looked at. This is a job that needs browsing through a set of documents or an extensive database to detect the information required and use it the best way or to present it to the client.
Graphic Designers
Have we forgotten the creative graphics designers? They are as important in this field as anyone else is.Who would create the DNA graphics and show the analyses and detection in a way that evryone would understand.
Most Wanted Skills
If you take a closer look, it's another world of computers. Most popular programming languages required for bioinfomatics have been MS Visual C++, Java and Visual Basic. Among the operating systems, Windows, Unix and Linux have been popular. Oracle has always been a step above in the field of bioinfomatics, where maintaining databases are concerned. The UNIX operating system is the workhorse of molecular biology. UNIX is likely to be here for the foreseeable future. First of all, it is getting-in the form of LINUX-increasing market share for servers of all kinds. The reasons are stability and that UNIX is already a standard. Indeed, all the other operating systems are, to a greater or lesser degree, derived from UNIX. So being really facile with UNIX is a very good thing for anybody who does anything with computers. For bioinfomatics, Unix will continue to be the workhorse.
In this field, the browser is the king because everyone does HTML or the progeny of HTML. That way, it doesn't matter what operating system you have. The only other major factor is power for the producers and convenience for the users. That is the reason why PERL has become so popular. It now seems that everyone involved underestimates how much effort it takes to learn the language of biology. Unix, PERL and C all seem to be easier to learn.
For all the job profiles, a bachelor's degree and sufficient computer skills would suffice. An engineer's degree would be an added bonus. If you have ample work experience apart from the educational qualification, then there's nothing like it.
In addition, ERP software packages such as SAP, Oracle Applications and BAAN are not tailored for pharmaceutical/life science com-panies. In the absence of custom software, most companies are developing homegrown software to meet their unique needs. Some of the hot areas that IT professionals can train themselves in are PERL, ORACLE, PL/SQL, C, JAVA, EJB, Weblogic application servers, data modeling, object modeling, system analysis and design and project management.
Salaries are comparable and an advanced post-graduate degree is not required. In product development, where specific applications are developed for life sciences companies, the requirements are for advanced degrees in specific areas of expertise in software, firmware and hardware functions utilized for developing products.Other opportunities lie in new product development, quality assurance issues, testing and process analysis, etc.
Money Matters
Industry insiders tell us that salary is a function of education and experience, but most engineers and programmers start at roughly the same figures as professionals in pure IT companies. The salary can range from $50 K to $70 K for entry-level jobs and beyond. Stock options are an added attraction for people who join hot startups in the field. Once people have paid their dues to career and industry, they can generally make it somewhere in the six-figure range.
Conclusion
Your peers will not be other programmers as in an IBM or a Cisco but researchers who will rely on you to lead the way. Here, the pace and needs are almost identical to the high-tech industry.Opportunities for IT prof-essionals in life sciences will keep growing, as technology and life sciences become inseparable entities. Even today, most of the projects in life sciences are so intrinsically based on technology that the career boom is going to continue.
A clear indication of this trend is that many mainstream companies are making huge investments in biotechnology and life sciences. Companies like IBM, Agilent and Motorola that are on top are investing heavily in developing their expertise in this virgin area. Maybe in the future, as the distinction between technology and life sciences fades further, there will be no telling the two apart.We do hope that this section helped you find your exciting software career in a noble and a challenging medical or biological world.