Starting with this issue we bring you a series of articles on career guidance beginning with Bioinformatics. Besides focussing on the scope that various disciplines offer this series will also give a listing of educatiional institutions offering courses in the concerned disciplines.

BIOINFORMATICS IS the use of computer technology to manage biological information It made its debut only a few years ago when scientists were confronted with a deluge of information from the Human Genome Program (HGP) and other sequencing projects. Individuals who work on the interface between molecular biology and computer science instantly became some of the most sought after professionals.

Bioinformatics is one of the most sought after courses these days. However, breaking into this new field is not as simple as it might appear. Unlike in the IT boom, where a diploma in programming offered lucrative jobs, in the field of bio‑informatics an entry‑level position requires more expertise.

Strongest demand mainly exists for individuals with degrees in the life sciences and computer sciences, and multiple years of programming and database development experience. Typical combinations include, a PhD in molecular biology, or biochemistry and B.S. in computer sciences. Life science PhDs, largely self‑taught in key computer skills, with industry experience, have good opportunities. People who emerge from the few doctoral programmes in bioinformatics have tremendous opportunities.

Biopharma companies look for candidates with computer science skills for positions at the staff scientist and senior staff scientist levels. That’s largely because database and search tools are still being developed. Emphasis is expected to shift in a few years to interpreting information in databases. Companies will then look for biologists with the right computational skills.

Skills Required
KNOWLEDGE OF UNIX, the operating system used for many computational biology programmes, a good grasp of the concept of relational databases, which are the heart of bioinformatics; and skill with Structured Query Language (SQL), a language used to query databases. In the future, knowledge of object‑oriented databases may be increasingly important. Programming skills are also essential. Skills with C, the programming language will help individuals learn Perl, the scripting language widely used in bioinformatics. Object‑oriented languages, such as Java, will be increasingly important. Expert knowledge of sequ-ence‑analysis program-mes like BLAST and FASTA is critical. Web skills are essential, including the ability to write some Hypertext markup Language (HTML).

Recruiters often go overboard over applicants who have applied computational biology skills in a practical way. The individual who wrote a program, for instance, and used it in thesis or postdoctoral work, might have an advantage over a similar individual who just took programming courses.

There is a growing demand for bioinformaticians. This field also has the impetus to grow parellel to the IT industry. At present, the opportunities in India are rather limited, but the scenario is expected to change soon.

Courtesy: ‘A Directory of Higher Educational 2004’ published by Malayala Manorama priced at Rs 70 available at Varsha Bookstall, Panjim.

Back