What
is bioinformatics?
In the broad sense, it is the application of computer technology to
biological problems. Recently, one of the high profile areas has been
management and analysis of vast quantities of data from genome sequencing
projects and presenting the data in a way that is useful and accessible
to biologists.
Why did you choose bioinformatics for your career?
I always enjoyed tinkering with computers as well as biology. In
the last few years I was using bioinformatics in my microbiology
research and found that this was the most enjoyable and successful
aspect of my work. So it seemed like the natural next step as well
as an exciting new challenge to move into this area. It also did
not escape my notice that the opportunities for career development
looked a lot rosier in bioinformatics.
Do you work in a narrowly focused or multidisciplinary team?
Many of the team come from a biological research background, along
with several computer scientists. The bioinformaticians here use
a large and complex computer infrastructure and so are very dependent
on IT specialists in systems support and web developers. We collaborate
closely with colleagues at the European Bioinformatics Institute
(EBI), also at Hinxton, which adds an extra dimension.
The Sanger Institute is world famous - does this make it an
exciting place to work?
Yes it is - there is quite a buzz when a new genome project is completed
or a Nobel prize is awarded! Being surrounded by some of the best
biologists and bioinformaticians is a great environment for learning
a lot quickly. It is also very rewarding to contribute to resources
such as the Pfam and InterPro databases, used via the world wide
web by thousands of scientists worldwide.
What qualities make a successful Bioinformaticist?
Enjoyment of problem-solving is very helpful. Obviously an enthusiasm
for computers as well as biology is important and a bioinformatician
must be open to learning about new techniques and technologies.
Ability to work as part of a team is paramount as many of the bioinfomatics
websites and databases are the product of large numbers of individuals
with diverse expertise and experience working interdependently.
Are there many career opportunities in this area of research?
This is a fast-growing area. Institutes like the Sanger and the
EBI seem to be continually expanding, new bioinformatics centers
are springing up in the Universities, and there seems to be plenty
of demand for suitable candidates in industry, although perhaps
more so in the US than in Europe. Just as important as actually
doing research are the many opportunities in curating, developing
and maintaining databases, applications and webservers that provide
tools and hypotheses for research.
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