"It actually takes someone who wants to learn these things". You are perfectly right. I am a wet biologist who is making a transition into bioinformatics. I can assure you it takes a lot of interest and perseverance to sit on a computer for very long hours, putting together scripts and testing until you get them to do what you want. It's extremely challenging but very exciting at the same time.
Aditya someone who takes the time to read bioinformatics graduate degree program pages? hahahaha. pretending like what i said isnt literally what she has said before. she has said that bioinformaticians who are able to create software that help biologists are extremely valued in the field. you’re probably not fit for it if you havent taken the time to learn that but i digress
It's really good to hear this from the perspective of a bioinformatician. I'm an undergraduate student in biology, current working in a "wet lab", but since last year I can't get enough of bioinformatics and I'm thinking wether or not to follow this field. Thanks a lot for the video. Keep doing them! Greetings from Brazil. (:
Hello there. Did you manage to find a good place where we can develop these skills? I'm looking for a place to do my Masters but don't know where to start looking. Greetings from Rio :)
So well explained about Bioinformatics analysis and the relevance of writing script that is in high demand in top bioinformatics labs. Makes me excited about Bioinformatics software. Thank you
@@madsdamm2307 Hi, I was a bio major and currently involved in bioinformatics research- the learning curve is there. My background was NOT in programming or anything related to computer science, but I've been very lucky to have a great mentor and look to online resources anytime I need help. I program in R, and it's (kinda) straightforward after you spend enough hours with it. My advice is to not become too overwhelmed, and ask a lot of questions. I enjoy it a lot. Good luck
Can you please make more videos about bioinformatics. I’m going into my second year of college. I’m really interested in bioinformatics but I’m having a hard time researching it. I love how much knowledge i gain on the subject from your videos.
I really hope this career kind of stays a secret. My dream is to go to college for this and get involved in many aspects of bioinformatics & genetics then building a successful & hopefully valuable professional and personal life. I'm only a sophomore now, a few colleges in mind already (crossed fingers for Virginia Union University or Howard), and I'm praying that this career is still in high demand later in the future. I am really thankful that you made this video, and am glad that I have fallback options in mind! #Classof2022!!
@@AJ-qt9hx I'm just 4 days from leaving for Rochester Institute of Technology. I'd love to network with other people in and interested in this field. What socials are you on?
Thank you for this explanation, it was really interesting to hear that. I am currently studying biochemistry and during by bachelor I noticed that I really enjoyed my programming and statistics classes. I am now considering doing by masters degree in either bioinformatics or biostatistics. If you know something about the differences of the respective fields and their job perspectives I would be very glad to hear them. Thank you
I am wondering about your thoughts on computer scientists going into bioinformatics. Would a computer scientist require a full BS in biology on top of computer science? How much biology would be appropriate? Not the minimal requirement but to be truly effective.
In general, going into bioinformatics from computer science is easier than the other way around because you don't need to know everything about biology to be effective. You need to know very in depth the field that you are studying. You will need all your coding and statistics abilities, but only a tiny sliver of the contents of a biology major, so I wouldn't recommend getting a full BS in biology on top of your CS degree. Instead, you can read textbooks and scientific papers, and talk to lots and lots of biologists and bioinformaticians about their research until you find a specific field, then dig super deep into that field. Since you truly want to be effective as a bioinformatician -- to the point where you would even consider doing a BS in biology :) -- then a PhD in bioinformatics sounds right for you. It does mean getting paid much less than you would as a software developer in the tech industry, so be aware of that. I will probably end up doing an episode on this one someday. In fact I added it as an option for our Facebook group to vote on: facebook.com/groups/396810934054265/
On my opinion its easier to go from CS intn Bioinf The main areas of biology you need to know are Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics, Evolution and Biochemistry A Master degree in Bioinformatics would be more then enough for you to know all you need to get started
It would probably take less than a few weeks for a competent computer scientist with zero biology knowledge to begin tackling meaningful challenges in bioinformatics. On the other hand, it would take a biologist with zero computational background years to learn the skills required to make meaningful contributions to bioinformatics.
nice channel. as a MSc in Bioinformatics... I'm definitely in love with what I do as an R&D scientist in genomics/bioinformatics... but really I feel like we are underpaid compared to tech... I might be one of those guys who shifts into machine learning/data science. I might go back for a PhD... but I don't think I'd ever consider doing a post-doc unless it'd lead me into a start up or something... basically slavery IMO.
Thks for this video! It's of great help for me! I used to work as research assistant in a sequencing facilities. However you point out exactly the problem I have with the job (pipeting like a robot!!) I have been considering taking a new master degree in bioinformatic because I believe there's more possibilities for bioinformatician.
Hi Maria, very interesting video, I think it would be so cool if you can make a video of how to jump from a bioinformatician that does analysis to a bioinformatician that makes software tools :)
Hi Maria. Thanks for this great video. I completed my MSc in Biotechnology and am super unsatisfied with all the wet lab work. I love machine learning and computer science but am really afraid bioinformatics is going to be too dry. For instance, image analysis is so "real" and practical, but DNA is just a bunch of 001010001s which I'm sure in the long run will make you crazy. I just enrolled in a university for another MSc in Bioinformatics but am really uncertain if this is the right choice. Would you say Bioinformatics is very dry and is it mostly only genomics and sequence analysis, etc., or is there another part to it where you would say a Bioinformatics degree is needed but goes into a whole different direction? Thanks and cheers!
Haha you almost make it sound as if we sit there and just read ATCGACGATCGATCGAT... all day. It's not like that at all. I won't get into too much detail here, but my other videos go into more depth on what it means to do bioinformatics. I like software, so I make bioinformatics software. Many people do in-depth analyses to discover new biology, going deep in one area. Some develop methods that are more heavily math and statistics. But nobody sits there and reads DNA sequences manually :)
Excellent insight into out field!!! I do not comment often but I think your videos are very informative. As a side note I would love to hear from you about the convergence between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and molecule design (proteins, enzymes, drugs, etc). Best Regards
Hey there Maria! I really liked the way you clearly presented all that information... tx a tonne... it has given me a lot more clarity than i initially had! So... my question to you is, can i have a double degree in medical as well as bioinformatics or a way to incorporate bioinformatics into my work as a doctor?... since i have a keen interest in bioinformatics and the way it works with all the tech and mathematical analysis but have always wanted to be a practicing doctor so just probing if there is a chance for me to have both of these simultaneously as a career prospect? Please help me out here however u can... I'll really appreciate your help!
Have you thought about pursuing an MD-PhD program? I don’t know much about medicine, but I do know these programs exist, so I can at least suggest you look into them :). Good luck!
Hello Dr. - I have not yet surveyed all the info you've help make available, and clear. I appreciate the value of visualizing the data, and extracting/refining the 'big' data into interpretable elements. In practice, and with your experience, could/would one expect to use these methods and tools to predict protein folding/activity and/or receptor/ligand manipulation? Thank you.
it is very difficult for a biologist to become a bioinformatics, as it lacks systemic knowledge, programming and mathematics. On the other hand, it is much easier for a computer scientist, since the biological knowledge he must learn is not so difficult or so specialized
In my opinion it's better to start learning programming, Python or R. There are many tutorials in UA-cam, you can also learn at Edx platform (From Harvard).
Hi Maria, your videos have been very helpful. Because of these tips and tutorials I am getting more and more interested in bioinformatics. I got my master degree from biotechnology(molecular biology), and worked in biostatistics for a year that has not been easy, I am still hopeful in bioinformatics field as my future career...speaking of which, I am thinking to learn deeper on omic data analysis and continue a PhD study on this field . Do you think it’s reasonable and valid turn of interest given my background ? Thank you again.
After getting a masters degree in biotechnology, is it possible to get jobs in bioinformatics field by just getting certifications in all the necessary programming languages you mentioned or do I still need a masters or PHD in bioinformatics?
hey maria i m currently studying bsc biology and i m good in programming languages like c++,java,html i m keen interested in coding from beginning and i also building few small android apps now a days i m interested in pursuing bioinformatics in future but in country like India where there is not much support in bioinformatics what would you suggest for us??
Good day maria. I'm an aquatic biologist. I was taking a look at bioinformatics as a tool to add to my repertoire. What are the chances of both fields synching with each other. How do you you think bioinformatics could have an impact on fisheries and aquatic biology? Pls I need help on this
I'm looking at the MS in Computational biol/bioinformatics program at my local university currently. I know that this is something I can have a passion for, but I'm really wanting to know if this grad degree would be financially worth it. I am currently a medical technologist with a BS in clinical lab science. The salary of a med tech typically caps at 55K/yr. My fear is going to grad school to pursue this really neat field but only to be making the same income or less after graduation.
With a PhD in bioinformatics, everyone I have heard from in industry in the US make at least $100k+, and I don’t see any cap, although most of those I know are young. If you’re worried about hitting a ceiling in your career, consider a PhD instead of a masters. I have a video on whether you should do a PhD, which goes into much more detail. Importantly you’ll get paid while doing a PhD. If you want the ultimate payday though, you can always just become a regular software engineer. But bioinformatics is a great field, and it can pay as much as software engineering if you build the right expertise.
Hi Maria! Thank you very much for the video. It was very informative. I am a biotechnology graduate and am interning at this bioinfo company. I am currently learning Python and am loving it, but I am a little apprehensive of math that I will have to learn if I have to pursue further. I am more than willing to learn, but I am not particularly confident. I have three questions actually: 1) How good should you be at math? 2) Is it mandatory for you to get a PhD to get a bioinformatics job in the industry 3) Some Universities like NEU offer bioinformatics/data science concentrations in MS biotechnology. Is it better to pursue that or like a proper MS in bioinformatics from a career point of view? Thanks in advance!
Hey maria, I've just recently discovered your videos while researching facts about pursuing a career in Bioinformatics. I am currently an undergrad student in Biology and I am planning to graduate this upcoming May. I really want to get into the field of Bioinformatics, but i'm confused on where to start considering I have very minimal programming skills. I was wondering if you had any strong recommendations on how someone like me with a strong biology background, but weak programming background can get into this field? And i dont know if this helps but I used to be an Engineering major and I have several calculus classes on my transcript, I would only need a couple classes to get a minor in Mathematics if that would help at all. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you! - Michael
I was in the same situation and tried to fit in tons of CS and math classes. The ones I would recommend are: as much computer science as possible plus linear algebra and statistics (if you haven't already done those). If you can't take them at your school (and maybe even if you can), try out online courses in python like at Codecademy where you can quickly learn in interactive ways. You might also like Rosalind, which has python challenges that also relate to topics in biology. Good luck!
Hi Louis. I appreciate hearing from you :) I haven't disappeared, I'm just having a lot of fun in my job at DNAnexus where I'm leading the visualization team. Most of my focus is there at the moment rather than on making videos, but feel free to leave your questions and topic ideas here, so I have a pile of videos to make when I get back to it. Best of luck with your bioinformatics journey!
I have a bachelors degree in health and human performance and a masters in clinical physiology. What would you recommend I do to get into the bioinformatics field if I am new to programming?
You can build software out of any of your favorite languages. If you like R, start building an R package out of some analysis you do often. If you work in Python, check out this video for turning those scripts into command-line programs: ua-cam.com/video/zi-FIG3efag/v-deo.html If you want a really big challenge, then turn those scripts into web applications. For some advice on how to build your first major piece of software, check out this video I made going through how to plan that: ua-cam.com/video/NRbhGhCUppU/v-deo.html
@@OMGenomics This is really encouraging. I'm new in Bioinformatics and R. Hopefully, in 6 months' time, I should be great in it. I'm in the 4th year of my PhD in Environmental Biochemistry and Molecular Toxicology here in Nigeria.
I'm graduating with a Bs in chemistry and have some resurch experience in computational biology. I'm interested in going into bioinformatics. if I peruse this path what skills or knowledge should I focus on learning given my back ground?
It seems to me that there isn't a bridge between the laboratory researchers and these huge data sets they're capable of generating. In my experience, the culture of the field dictates that bioinformaticians can only play a peripheral role in the research process. The producers of data are possessive and are usually unwilling to allow it to pass through unfamiliar hands. As a result, wet-lab experts end up wasting valuable time/resources because they don't understand certain simple principles of coding or statistics. I imagine things will get easier as the old technologically inept PIs move out of the field. Yet, there is no stopgap method for those of us who find ourselves in this transition period. So apart from committing to a career in programming or mathematical modeling, could you offer practical skills that we laymen can target to improve our bioinformatics competence?
Sorry to hear that experience. But Bioinformatics is actually a field with much more sharing than most others - the human genome was sequenced and data made available within 24 hours, all exome sequences are in dbGAP, tons of expression data in GEO... you can work a lifetime as a bioinformatician just with publicly available data
Hi! I am a biology undergraduate student thinking of changing my major to bioinformatics. However, for my masters and PhD, I am planning on going into the forensics field. I just wanted to ask an expert/ someone in the field if it would be possible for me to continue my studies in forensics (I think it would expand my options, i.e. give me the option to go into computer forensics) if I make the switch. Thank you so much for your help!
Hello! Thank you for great video! I am 4th year undergraduate student, and i am choosing between bioinformatics and experimental biology now. Could you please answer do bioinformatics, in addition to data analysis, plan experiments and make hypotheses? That is, how much biology is there in bioinformatics? Can bioinformatics scientist, for example, suggest some new experimental technology?
Yes absolutely. Experiments can also be purely dry, things like training a model on different kids of data and seeing which performs the best. If you mean wet-lab experiments, often people specialize but work with wet-lab experimentalists as needed. If a company or lab is building a new experimental technique, the wet-lab and dry-lab people will ideally sit together and work very closely to ensure that they're getting quick iteration and feedback from the analysis back to the wet lab.
Well, I must say that career prospects related to bioinformatics are comparatively brighter in Europe than Asian countries because bionformaticians produced here become paranoid, contemplative and terrified about their future jobs etc. and as a result of which they lose their interests in building and developing useful tools, which in turn effects the market value of them and bioinformatics in the market. Moreover, doing Bachelors in bioinformatics and jumping into biosciences or more wet lab based fields is nowadays a common trend in Asia.
There are certain reasons behind this for example 1. After studying biology as a major in the schools students here find it really difficult to learn computer sciences and mathematics which are the best supportive subs for bioinformatics. 2. Having poor computer sciences skills in their early part of bachelors forces them to think about other fields for maters. 3. Unemployment, which is common for bioinformaticians, here on the other hand is the major reason which leads them to think about their careers that in spite of having 16-18 years of education if they are gonna worthless in the market then they think it is better to change their domain of study. Moreover, I would like to add still there are no best faculties teaching BI in many institutions which leads to the production of worthless bioinformaticians which is the major reason of unemployment.
That is really interesting. It sounds like you are saying a lot of people end up becoming "bioinformaticians" with actually very few informatics skills. That would be problematic for the field as a whole, but it may be that the best bioinformaticians who can actually do great work are still doing just fine at getting work. I'm thinking that as long as there is a way to prove yourself and set yourself apart from the "worthless" bioinformaticians, then you can still succeed.
Hi Maria, I'm a biomedical science major looking to transition into bioinformatics although I have been discouraged by a lot of people because of my biology background.Do you think it's a good idea ?
Mam which bioinformatics basic courses will give me a small scale job? Because right now I am not in good situation where I can spend my whole year to learn bioinformatics.
Hi Maria, thank you very much for this informative video on Bioinformatics as a career. I will need some advice from you if you don't mind. I am currently holding a Bachelor's in Chemistry and have been working on biology wet-lab based research for 3 years. I am considering taking up a Master's program, focusing on Bioinformatics work next. So my question to you is: Is it alright to take a research-based Masters that focuses on doing a Bioinformatics project for a research lab (picking up skills and knowledge in the Bioinformatics tools adopted by that research lab) or would traditional coursework-based Masters in Bioinformatics (learning Bioinformatics tools and coding through modules) be a better option for someone who wants to do a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics eventually? Thank you!
Hi Maria, just stumbled across your page as I'm trying to decide if I should pursue a master's in bioinformatics. I just got my honors degree in biotechnology and I really enjoyed the module on bioinformatics. I'm considering moving to either Denmark or Sweden for this study but upon much of my research, it seems to get a Ph.D. is much more re-assuring for getting good jobs in this field but honestly can't see myself sticking it out that long. Do you think it's worthwhile still going for a masters in Bioinformatics knowing I'm most likely not going for a Ph.D. in the future?
I think the most important thing is getting experience and learning very deeply. A great portfolio is the best way to land a great job, and sometimes school projects will help you get there, sometimes you have to do it in your own time. Check out job postings and read to see what the requirements are for your dream job, and go from there :)
That's a great question, but I honestly can't really tell. You shouldn't just take my advice blindly anyway though -- I recommend you do some investigation for yourself, like looking up job listings and talking to folks in your own country to get more perspectives!
You can definitely start your career after a Masters degree, especially in industry. If you want to become a professor someday then you will need the PhD, and there are certainly jobs that require it, but you can do a lot of the similar work in industry with the masters alone. I suggest you check out job descriptions for your country and specific jobs you are thinking about, just to make sure :)
hello maria . i watched some of your videos and believe i loved them , i going to have a masters degree in microbiology but at the same time i also want to learn bioinformatics and have been self learning those tools but i still have to struggle alot. i also need to know is it possible to use bioinfo tools while have still having a research in wet lab . and then switch to Bioinformatics for Phd Moreover are there any institions that offer bioinformatics master degree/ diploma through distance learning. and what tools/ software you recommend for begginers to learn Please do a video on protein docking, homology modelling , using Pymol and other tools
That is very subjective, what is best depends on who you are, and probably there’s a lot of overlap between those two. Careers are not as simple as choosing between two job titles, but if forced to choose between majors in school, consider whether you want to focus on medically relevant bioinformatics or also study other things like plants that wouldn’t count as biomedical. Bioinformatics can be considered an umbrella field that includes biomedical informatics.
Hi, great video! I am wondering about the step pre-PhD. I have a masters in bioinformatic but I can't find any job or PhD scholarship at least in europe. Now I am looking for it in USA. Do you (all your viewers and you) have any kind of advice to accomplish sucesfully this step?
For getting into PhD programs, one resource I used a lot back then was GradCafe, which I can see is still very active. People go there to discuss grad school admissions, international student issues, and everything else having to do with graduate schools, including specifics by field. That is a great place to start. I also recommend you join our mailing list at omgenomics.com/subscribe and the OMGenomics Facebook group where others may be able to point you in the right direction too.
Thank you very much I am looking into it, i saw the resources in omgenetics and I think very useful also the rosalind webpage. I only mention it because I think it could be attractive for some ppl: rosalind.info/problems/tree-view/
Hi, I am BSc in computer science. I am good at C++.Should I study Computational and Systems Biology?and What programming language do they require (is it JAVA or R)?
not java. In computational biology/ bioinformatics, R, Python and Mathlab are the most popular. If you will go heavy into algorithm development and very large datasets, C++ will usually be better.
Probably. If you are primarily interested in doing research as a major part of your career, then a PhD makes sense. As far as getting into a PhD program, it depends on degree requirements in your country, but I don't see any particular issue with going from an MS in Biomedical Engineering to a PhD in bioinformatics.
Hi i am undergraduate student of physical sciences . I have a lot of chemistry and biology courses in my program . ( Inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry , biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics) . I want to do a m.sc and PhD in bioinformatics and especially i want to do research in applications of bioinformatics in Toxicology . ( Toxicogenomics , pharmacogenomics , drug design) Is it possible ? Is that good choice ?
I like using python better myself, but there are many good reasons why people use R. I think it's best to pick whatever works best for what you're trying to do, and stay flexible to learning multiple languages.
Hello, i have done bachelors in Mathematics, Philosophy. I am interested in things related to environment and field jobs related to that.Is majoring in bioinformatics a good idea? Thanks
You can always get a PhD, but if you are in a place in your life where that doesn't sound fun, you could try to find a job in the field that interests you. Different companies have different needs, so you may just be able to find something, and otherwise you can look at the job requirements and try to fill in your experience with what they're looking for. If you can't do any more school to study bioinformatics directly, you could look for a role that relies on the skills you already have but in a company that works on biology-related products, so you can get your feet wet and gradually do more bioinformatics.
@@OMGenomics Hi, thank you so much for your prompt response, I have look into several books related to this topics, I'm a 10 year old experience linux/cloud infrastructure specialist, have worked in big data/fintech / AI projects and know the stack, not able to study right , PhD implies to focus only on that however will check what you suggest, regards
"It actually takes someone who wants to learn these things". You are perfectly right. I am a wet biologist who is making a transition into bioinformatics. I can assure you it takes a lot of interest and perseverance to sit on a computer for very long hours, putting together scripts and testing until you get them to do what you want. It's extremely challenging but very exciting at the same time.
Do you think informatics people can get educated in biology to get into bioinformatics? From a computer science background.
@@zeynand4039 Did you get an answer? we are both in the same boat lol
Aditya well.. yes? it’s much easier to approach bioinformatics from a computer science approach and many masters programs prefer it
@@babygirl-nl4im And you are?
Aditya someone who takes the time to read bioinformatics graduate degree program pages? hahahaha. pretending like what i said isnt literally what she has said before. she has said that bioinformaticians who are able to create software that help biologists are extremely valued in the field. you’re probably not fit for it if you havent taken the time to learn that but i digress
It's really good to hear this from the perspective of a bioinformatician. I'm an undergraduate student in biology, current working in a "wet lab", but since last year I can't get enough of bioinformatics and I'm thinking wether or not to follow this field. Thanks a lot for the video. Keep doing them!
Greetings from Brazil. (:
That's awesome to hear! It's an exciting field to be in right now, so I'm glad you are joining us :)
Hello there. Did you manage to find a good place where we can develop these skills? I'm looking for a place to do my Masters but don't know where to start looking. Greetings from Rio :)
So well explained about Bioinformatics analysis and the relevance of writing script that is in high demand in top bioinformatics labs. Makes me excited about Bioinformatics software.
Thank you
Just started looking into Bioinformatics as a Biochemistry undergraduate, your videos are very informative, Thanks.
How do you like it so far? How hard did you find the transsision?
@@madsdamm2307 Hi, I was a bio major and currently involved in bioinformatics research- the learning curve is there. My background was NOT in programming or anything related to computer science, but I've been very lucky to have a great mentor and look to online resources anytime I need help. I program in R, and it's (kinda) straightforward after you spend enough hours with it. My advice is to not become too overwhelmed, and ask a lot of questions. I enjoy it a lot. Good luck
@@tallon3925 is it boring?
This was a really useful video for someone who is kind of humming and harr-ing about where to go after finishing their degree. Thanks so much!
Can you please make more videos about bioinformatics. I’m going into my second year of college. I’m really interested in bioinformatics but I’m having a hard time researching it. I love how much knowledge i gain on the subject from your videos.
I really hope this career kind of stays a secret. My dream is to go to college for this and get involved in many aspects of bioinformatics & genetics then building a successful & hopefully valuable professional and personal life. I'm only a sophomore now, a few colleges in mind already (crossed fingers for Virginia Union University or Howard), and I'm praying that this career is still in high demand later in the future. I am really thankful that you made this video, and am glad that I have fallback options in mind! #Classof2022!!
Hello Antoinette, how're you doing now? And how's your career field. I like to connect with you
@@AJ-qt9hx I'm just 4 days from leaving for Rochester Institute of Technology. I'd love to network with other people in and interested in this field. What socials are you on?
@@antoinettecmarshall2270 u r leaving for rochestor institute for a MSc in Bioinformatics??? If yes, wat was the eligibility requirements??
I'm a biophysics undergraduate, my course itself has an enphasys on bioinformatics and molecular biology. That's great then :)
Where do you study?
@@mariawtr Brazil, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
I have no words to express my gratitude to you. I was really looking for this information.
Thank you for this explanation, it was really interesting to hear that. I am currently studying biochemistry and during by bachelor I noticed that I really enjoyed my programming and statistics classes. I am now considering doing by masters degree in either bioinformatics or biostatistics. If you know something about the differences of the respective fields and their job perspectives I would be very glad to hear them.
Thank you
I'm really considering switching my program now.
Good vid
I am wondering about your thoughts on computer scientists going into bioinformatics. Would a computer scientist require a full BS in biology on top of computer science? How much biology would be appropriate? Not the minimal requirement but to be truly effective.
In general, going into bioinformatics from computer science is easier than the other way around because you don't need to know everything about biology to be effective. You need to know very in depth the field that you are studying. You will need all your coding and statistics abilities, but only a tiny sliver of the contents of a biology major, so I wouldn't recommend getting a full BS in biology on top of your CS degree. Instead, you can read textbooks and scientific papers, and talk to lots and lots of biologists and bioinformaticians about their research until you find a specific field, then dig super deep into that field.
Since you truly want to be effective as a bioinformatician -- to the point where you would even consider doing a BS in biology :) -- then a PhD in bioinformatics sounds right for you. It does mean getting paid much less than you would as a software developer in the tech industry, so be aware of that. I will probably end up doing an episode on this one someday. In fact I added it as an option for our Facebook group to vote on: facebook.com/groups/396810934054265/
We definitely need an episode on that. Thanks!
On my opinion its easier to go from CS intn Bioinf
The main areas of biology you need to know are Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics, Evolution and Biochemistry
A Master degree in Bioinformatics would be more then enough for you to know all you need to get started
Great question. Thx
It would probably take less than a few weeks for a competent computer scientist with zero biology knowledge to begin tackling meaningful challenges in bioinformatics. On the other hand, it would take a biologist with zero computational background years to learn the skills required to make meaningful contributions to bioinformatics.
nice channel. as a MSc in Bioinformatics... I'm definitely in love with what I do as an R&D scientist in genomics/bioinformatics... but really I feel like we are underpaid compared to tech... I might be one of those guys who shifts into machine learning/data science. I might go back for a PhD... but I don't think I'd ever consider doing a post-doc unless it'd lead me into a start up or something... basically slavery IMO.
stackered how much is salary after masters in bio informatics
Thks for this video! It's of great help for me!
I used to work as research assistant in a sequencing facilities. However you point out exactly the problem I have with the job (pipeting like a robot!!)
I have been considering taking a new master degree in bioinformatic because I believe there's more possibilities for bioinformatician.
Great video. Being a bioinformatic Master, your opinions are helpful for my carrer planning. Start to find software engineer jobsXDD.
Hi Maria, very interesting video, I think it would be so cool if you can make a video of how to jump from a bioinformatician that does analysis to a bioinformatician that makes software tools :)
great idea -- For now, check out this related video I made on planning the scope of your software: ua-cam.com/video/NRbhGhCUppU/v-deo.html.
Hi Maria. Thanks for this great video. I completed my MSc in Biotechnology and am super unsatisfied with all the wet lab work. I love machine learning and computer science but am really afraid bioinformatics is going to be too dry. For instance, image analysis is so "real" and practical, but DNA is just a bunch of 001010001s which I'm sure in the long run will make you crazy. I just enrolled in a university for another MSc in Bioinformatics but am really uncertain if this is the right choice.
Would you say Bioinformatics is very dry and is it mostly only genomics and sequence analysis, etc., or is there another part to it where you would say a Bioinformatics degree is needed but goes into a whole different direction?
Thanks and cheers!
Haha you almost make it sound as if we sit there and just read ATCGACGATCGATCGAT... all day. It's not like that at all. I won't get into too much detail here, but my other videos go into more depth on what it means to do bioinformatics. I like software, so I make bioinformatics software. Many people do in-depth analyses to discover new biology, going deep in one area. Some develop methods that are more heavily math and statistics. But nobody sits there and reads DNA sequences manually :)
Excellent insight into out field!!! I do not comment often but I think your videos are very informative. As a side note I would love to hear from you about the convergence between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and molecule design (proteins, enzymes, drugs, etc). Best Regards
Hey there Maria! I really liked the way you clearly presented all that information... tx a tonne... it has given me a lot more clarity than i initially had! So... my question to you is, can i have a double degree in medical as well as bioinformatics or a way to incorporate bioinformatics into my work as a doctor?... since i have a keen interest in bioinformatics and the way it works with all the tech and mathematical analysis but have always wanted to be a practicing doctor so just probing if there is a chance for me to have both of these simultaneously as a career prospect? Please help me out here however u can... I'll really appreciate your help!
Have you thought about pursuing an MD-PhD program? I don’t know much about medicine, but I do know these programs exist, so I can at least suggest you look into them :). Good luck!
Hello Dr. -
I have not yet surveyed all the info you've help make available, and clear. I appreciate the value of visualizing the data, and extracting/refining the 'big' data into interpretable elements. In practice, and with your experience, could/would one expect to use these methods and tools to predict protein folding/activity and/or receptor/ligand manipulation?
Thank you.
You discuss how bioinformatic skills are transferrable to the data science and ML space, but does it also apply vice-versa?
Yea definitely, it depends which specific skills, of course, but generally there's overlap that goes both ways!
it is very difficult for a biologist to become a bioinformatics, as it lacks systemic knowledge, programming and mathematics. On the other hand, it is much easier for a computer scientist, since the biological knowledge he must learn is not so difficult or so specialized
How to start learning bioinformatics? Is there a good tutorial in the web?
Is it better to learn informatics or bioinformatics?
In my opinion it's better to start learning programming, Python or R. There are many tutorials in UA-cam, you can also learn at Edx platform (From Harvard).
I've enjoyed your videos as they are clearly understood. Do you have a video on DESeq2 using R Studio?
this was amazingly helpful thank you!
Nice video…what about if I have a degree in Computational Math? I am familiar with Python, AWK, Fortran, Lua and C.
The most important reason for me to choose bioinformatics over wet lab biology is that I hate wet lab work with a passion
Thanks for your time and efforts to explain this exciting field.
Hi Maria, your videos have been very helpful. Because of these tips and tutorials I am getting more and more interested in bioinformatics. I got my master degree from biotechnology(molecular biology), and worked in biostatistics for a year that has not been easy, I am still hopeful in bioinformatics field as my future career...speaking of which, I am thinking to learn deeper on omic data analysis and continue a PhD study on this field . Do you think it’s reasonable and valid turn of interest given my background ? Thank you again.
After getting a masters degree in biotechnology, is it possible to get jobs in bioinformatics field by just getting certifications in all the necessary programming languages you mentioned or do I still need a masters or PHD in bioinformatics?
Yes its definitely possible to get jobs in Bioinformatics with a masters degree in biotechnology!
I am excited, subscribed already!!
Hi
Love your Github. I'm pursuing BS in BMI. I'm a premed student but would also like to get a doctorate in comp bio or systems biology
Hi @OMGenomics Can you please shed some light about the current job market in bioinformatics(Supply and demand)....
hey maria i m currently studying bsc biology and i m good in programming languages like c++,java,html i m keen interested in coding from beginning and i also building few small android apps now a days i m interested in pursuing bioinformatics in future but in country like India where there is not much support in bioinformatics what would you suggest for us??
Hi! 🙂
Could you bring an update on this information? It's been a while and much might have changed.
Thank you!
Can you please tell the average salary ...and like after PhD is it easy to find job?
Good day maria. I'm an aquatic biologist. I was taking a look at bioinformatics as a tool to add to my repertoire. What are the chances of both fields synching with each other.
How do you you think bioinformatics could have an impact on fisheries and aquatic biology? Pls I need help on this
I'm looking at the MS in Computational biol/bioinformatics program at my local university currently.
I know that this is something I can have a passion for, but I'm really wanting to know if this grad degree would be financially worth it.
I am currently a medical technologist with a BS in clinical lab science. The salary of a med tech typically caps at 55K/yr.
My fear is going to grad school to pursue this really neat field but only to be making the same income or less after graduation.
With a PhD in bioinformatics, everyone I have heard from in industry in the US make at least $100k+, and I don’t see any cap, although most of those I know are young. If you’re worried about hitting a ceiling in your career, consider a PhD instead of a masters. I have a video on whether you should do a PhD, which goes into much more detail. Importantly you’ll get paid while doing a PhD. If you want the ultimate payday though, you can always just become a regular software engineer. But bioinformatics is a great field, and it can pay as much as software engineering if you build the right expertise.
What about outside US, like in the EU?
Thanks maria
You video was help me to find what i want 😄
What's the possibility of doing bioinformatics or a subfield (biocuration) remotely? From anywhere over the internet?
Hi Maria! Thank you very much for the video. It was very informative. I am a biotechnology graduate and am interning at this bioinfo company. I am currently learning Python and am loving it, but I am a little apprehensive of math that I will have to learn if I have to pursue further. I am more than willing to learn, but I am not particularly confident. I have three questions actually:
1) How good should you be at math?
2) Is it mandatory for you to get a PhD to get a bioinformatics job in the industry
3) Some Universities like NEU offer bioinformatics/data science concentrations in MS biotechnology. Is it better to pursue that or like a proper MS in bioinformatics from a career point of view?
Thanks in advance!
Hello Maria, are you coming back ? Your channel is amazing.
yea I'm just taking some time to think about what topics I'm interested in covering in more detail :)
6min. Very important point. Let's expand on it later
Hey maria, I've just recently discovered your videos while researching facts about pursuing a career in Bioinformatics. I am currently an undergrad student in Biology and I am planning to graduate this upcoming May. I really want to get into the field of Bioinformatics, but i'm confused on where to start considering I have very minimal programming skills. I was wondering if you had any strong recommendations on how someone like me with a strong biology background, but weak programming background can get into this field? And i dont know if this helps but I used to be an Engineering major and I have several calculus classes on my transcript, I would only need a couple classes to get a minor in Mathematics if that would help at all. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you! - Michael
I was in the same situation and tried to fit in tons of CS and math classes. The ones I would recommend are: as much computer science as possible plus linear algebra and statistics (if you haven't already done those). If you can't take them at your school (and maybe even if you can), try out online courses in python like at Codecademy where you can quickly learn in interactive ways. You might also like Rosalind, which has python challenges that also relate to topics in biology. Good luck!
Excellent explanation
Thanks alot from 2023
Thank you~
Can medical student specialist in bioinformatic ?
Thank you mam😊👍💐
Hi Maria,
I am Louis and why did you stop make videos? I think the majority of us missing you.
I hope that you will be ok.
Hi Louis. I appreciate hearing from you :) I haven't disappeared, I'm just having a lot of fun in my job at DNAnexus where I'm leading the visualization team. Most of my focus is there at the moment rather than on making videos, but feel free to leave your questions and topic ideas here, so I have a pile of videos to make when I get back to it. Best of luck with your bioinformatics journey!
Clear my doubt! Im an Ece student , now can I pursue Ms Bioinformatics in future?
great!
What do you think about biomedical engineering?
This is my 3td month in college in bioinformatics it is so so difficult and complicated
great video
Great video!
I have a bachelors degree in health and human performance and a masters in clinical physiology. What would you recommend I do to get into the bioinformatics field if I am new to programming?
Can you please make a video about dry lab vs wet lab? I’m very conflicted on which one I’d want to focus on.
@anglekan well said hahaha
Very useful thanks
About post-masters with industry experience are there any opportunities/openings to track?
great stuff
.hi maria ,it 's a really great video
i want to knew more about skills needed to build a software?
You can build software out of any of your favorite languages. If you like R, start building an R package out of some analysis you do often. If you work in Python, check out this video for turning those scripts into command-line programs: ua-cam.com/video/zi-FIG3efag/v-deo.html
If you want a really big challenge, then turn those scripts into web applications.
For some advice on how to build your first major piece of software, check out this video I made going through how to plan that: ua-cam.com/video/NRbhGhCUppU/v-deo.html
@@OMGenomics This is really encouraging. I'm new in Bioinformatics and R. Hopefully, in 6 months' time, I should be great in it. I'm in the 4th year of my PhD in Environmental Biochemistry and Molecular Toxicology here in Nigeria.
I'm graduating with a Bs in chemistry and have some resurch experience in computational biology. I'm interested in going into bioinformatics. if I peruse this path what skills or knowledge should I focus on learning given my back ground?
Thanks mem
It seems to me that there isn't a bridge between the laboratory researchers and these huge data sets they're capable of generating. In my experience, the culture of the field dictates that bioinformaticians can only play a peripheral role in the research process. The producers of data are possessive and are usually unwilling to allow it to pass through unfamiliar hands. As a result, wet-lab experts end up wasting valuable time/resources because they don't understand certain simple principles of coding or statistics. I imagine things will get easier as the old technologically inept PIs move out of the field. Yet, there is no stopgap method for those of us who find ourselves in this transition period. So apart from committing to a career in programming or mathematical modeling, could you offer practical skills that we laymen can target to improve our bioinformatics competence?
Sorry to hear that experience. But Bioinformatics is actually a field with much more sharing than most others - the human genome was sequenced and data made available within 24 hours, all exome sequences are in dbGAP, tons of expression data in GEO... you can work a lifetime as a bioinformatician just with publicly available data
hi! how did the maket evolve in the past 5 years?
Hi! I am a biology undergraduate student thinking of changing my major to bioinformatics. However, for my masters and PhD, I am planning on going into the forensics field. I just wanted to ask an expert/ someone in the field if it would be possible for me to continue my studies in forensics (I think it would expand my options, i.e. give me the option to go into computer forensics) if I make the switch. Thank you so much for your help!
Hello! Thank you for great video! I am 4th year undergraduate student, and i am choosing between bioinformatics and experimental biology now. Could you please answer do bioinformatics, in addition to data analysis, plan experiments and make hypotheses? That is, how much biology is there in bioinformatics? Can bioinformatics scientist,
for example, suggest some new experimental technology?
Yes absolutely. Experiments can also be purely dry, things like training a model on different kids of data and seeing which performs the best. If you mean wet-lab experiments, often people specialize but work with wet-lab experimentalists as needed. If a company or lab is building a new experimental technique, the wet-lab and dry-lab people will ideally sit together and work very closely to ensure that they're getting quick iteration and feedback from the analysis back to the wet lab.
Yes. In industry.
I'm a biomedical engineer , can I transition to biostatistics.. Please guide me.
Well, I must say that career prospects related to bioinformatics are comparatively brighter in Europe than Asian countries because bionformaticians produced here become paranoid, contemplative and terrified about their future jobs etc. and as a result of which they lose their interests in building and developing useful tools, which in turn effects the market value of them and bioinformatics in the market. Moreover, doing Bachelors in bioinformatics and jumping into biosciences or more wet lab based fields is nowadays a common trend in Asia.
Can you explain why bioinformaticians in Asia become "paranoid, contemplative, and terrified about their future jobs"?
There are certain reasons behind this for example
1. After studying biology as a major in the schools students here find it really difficult to learn computer sciences and mathematics which are the best supportive subs for bioinformatics.
2. Having poor computer sciences skills in their early part of bachelors forces them to think about other fields for maters.
3. Unemployment, which is common for bioinformaticians, here on the other hand is the major reason which leads them to think about their careers that in spite of having 16-18 years of education if they are gonna worthless in the market then they think it is better to change their domain of study.
Moreover, I would like to add still there are no best faculties teaching BI in many institutions which leads to the production of worthless bioinformaticians which is the major reason of unemployment.
That is really interesting. It sounds like you are saying a lot of people end up becoming "bioinformaticians" with actually very few informatics skills. That would be problematic for the field as a whole, but it may be that the best bioinformaticians who can actually do great work are still doing just fine at getting work. I'm thinking that as long as there is a way to prove yourself and set yourself apart from the "worthless" bioinformaticians, then you can still succeed.
Exactly "Bioinformaticians with very few informatics skills ", this line sums it up ....
@@ahteshamabbasi9503 lol I hope I'm not one of these
can undergraduate biomedical engineers move into bioinformatics for PG?
Hi Maria
Can you tell me if Systems biology is a good course since it is similar to bioinformatics
Very nice
Hi Maria, I'm a biomedical science major looking to transition into bioinformatics although I have been discouraged by a lot of people because of my biology background.Do you think it's a good idea ?
Does anyone know how hard it is for a biomedical science undergraduate student to pursue masters in bioinformatics??
I'm in the same position how was it?
thanx u a lot
iam recently doing bsc bioinformatics
what will i need to do after bsc bioinformatics for my better carrier
Mam which bioinformatics basic courses will give me a small scale job? Because right now I am not in good situation where I can spend my whole year to learn bioinformatics.
hi do you have any kind of literature that i could use as beginner
Hi Maria, thank you very much for this informative video on Bioinformatics as a career. I will need some advice from you if you don't mind. I am currently holding a Bachelor's in Chemistry and have been working on biology wet-lab based research for 3 years. I am considering taking up a Master's program, focusing on Bioinformatics work next. So my question to you is: Is it alright to take a research-based Masters that focuses on doing a Bioinformatics project for a research lab (picking up skills and knowledge in the Bioinformatics tools adopted by that research lab) or would traditional coursework-based Masters in Bioinformatics (learning Bioinformatics tools and coding through modules) be a better option for someone who wants to do a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics eventually? Thank you!
I wanted to do a masters, and did not want to proceed towards a phd. Is that a good decision?
Hi Maria, just stumbled across your page as I'm trying to decide if I should pursue a master's in bioinformatics. I just got my honors degree in biotechnology and I really enjoyed the module on bioinformatics. I'm considering moving to either Denmark or Sweden for this study but upon much of my research, it seems to get a Ph.D. is much more re-assuring for getting good jobs in this field but honestly can't see myself sticking it out that long. Do you think it's worthwhile still going for a masters in Bioinformatics knowing I'm most likely not going for a Ph.D. in the future?
I think the most important thing is getting experience and learning very deeply. A great portfolio is the best way to land a great job, and sometimes school projects will help you get there, sometimes you have to do it in your own time. Check out job postings and read to see what the requirements are for your dream job, and go from there :)
what is the salary in us???
How much of your advice applies to places outside of the US? (I'm in the Netherlands btw)
That's a great question, but I honestly can't really tell. You shouldn't just take my advice blindly anyway though -- I recommend you do some investigation for yourself, like looking up job listings and talking to folks in your own country to get more perspectives!
Hi Maria, is it possible to find a job after having Master degree on Bioinformatics, or do I have to follow a PhD route?
You can definitely start your career after a Masters degree, especially in industry. If you want to become a professor someday then you will need the PhD, and there are certainly jobs that require it, but you can do a lot of the similar work in industry with the masters alone. I suggest you check out job descriptions for your country and specific jobs you are thinking about, just to make sure :)
Thanks Maria, I'm going to study Master Bioinformatics in France next year. Hope that it will be easy for me to start my career there.
hello maria . i watched some of your videos and believe i loved them , i going to have a masters degree in microbiology but at the same time i also want to learn bioinformatics and have been self learning those tools but i still have to struggle alot. i also need to know is it possible to use bioinfo tools while have still having a research in wet lab . and then switch to Bioinformatics for Phd
Moreover are there any institions that offer bioinformatics master degree/ diploma through distance learning. and what tools/ software you recommend for begginers to learn
Please do a video on protein docking, homology modelling , using Pymol and other tools
Hi,please which career is best bioinformatics or biomedical informatics?
That is very subjective, what is best depends on who you are, and probably there’s a lot of overlap between those two. Careers are not as simple as choosing between two job titles, but if forced to choose between majors in school, consider whether you want to focus on medically relevant bioinformatics or also study other things like plants that wouldn’t count as biomedical. Bioinformatics can be considered an umbrella field that includes biomedical informatics.
Hi Maria
What about for software engineers?
There's a video for that :) ua-cam.com/video/4mMviYCgBSU/v-deo.html
Hi, great video! I am wondering about the step pre-PhD. I have a masters in bioinformatic but I can't find any job or PhD scholarship at least in europe. Now I am looking for it in USA. Do you (all your viewers and you) have any kind of advice to accomplish sucesfully this step?
For getting into PhD programs, one resource I used a lot back then was GradCafe, which I can see is still very active. People go there to discuss grad school admissions, international student issues, and everything else having to do with graduate schools, including specifics by field. That is a great place to start. I also recommend you join our mailing list at omgenomics.com/subscribe and the OMGenomics Facebook group where others may be able to point you in the right direction too.
Thank you very much I am looking into it, i saw the resources in omgenetics and I think very useful also the rosalind webpage. I only mention it because I think it could be attractive for some ppl: rosalind.info/problems/tree-view/
Hi, Maria I completed ms in bioinformatics you have any job vacancy for me get one
Hi, I am BSc in computer science. I am good at C++.Should I study Computational and Systems Biology?and What programming language do they require (is it JAVA or R)?
not java. In computational biology/ bioinformatics, R, Python and Mathlab are the most popular. If you will go heavy into algorithm development and very large datasets, C++ will usually be better.
I have completed my undergrad in EEE. I am currently doing my MS in Biomedical Engineering. Pursuing a PhD in Bioinformatics will be viable for me?
Probably. If you are primarily interested in doing research as a major part of your career, then a PhD makes sense. As far as getting into a PhD program, it depends on degree requirements in your country, but I don't see any particular issue with going from an MS in Biomedical Engineering to a PhD in bioinformatics.
Hi i am undergraduate student of physical sciences . I have a lot of chemistry and biology courses in my program . ( Inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry , biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics) .
I want to do a m.sc and PhD in bioinformatics and especially i want to do research in applications of bioinformatics in Toxicology . ( Toxicogenomics , pharmacogenomics , drug design)
Is it possible ? Is that good choice ?
Hello... Please, will a degree in Anatomy be sufficient enough for one to do MSc in bioinformatics?
Possibly, better check with the masters programs!
is it still worth in 2020
i personally think it is good but i want to know the truth
Hey Maria which programming you prefer R o Python for Biologist?
I like using python better myself, but there are many good reasons why people use R. I think it's best to pick whatever works best for what you're trying to do, and stay flexible to learning multiple languages.
@@OMGenomics Thanks alot mrs Doctor
Hello, i have done bachelors in Mathematics, Philosophy. I am interested in things related to environment and field jobs related to that.Is majoring in bioinformatics a good idea? Thanks
Please reply beautiful
Is a master's good enough for this field?
It depends on what you want to do. See my video "Should you do a PhD?": ua-cam.com/video/sMJP5uGdD6U/v-deo.html
If I'm computer engineer, what will be the path to start working with bioinformatics?
You can always get a PhD, but if you are in a place in your life where that doesn't sound fun, you could try to find a job in the field that interests you. Different companies have different needs, so you may just be able to find something, and otherwise you can look at the job requirements and try to fill in your experience with what they're looking for. If you can't do any more school to study bioinformatics directly, you could look for a role that relies on the skills you already have but in a company that works on biology-related products, so you can get your feet wet and gradually do more bioinformatics.
@@OMGenomics Hi, thank you so much for your prompt response, I have look into several books related to this topics, I'm a 10 year old experience linux/cloud infrastructure specialist, have worked in big data/fintech / AI projects and know the stack, not able to study right , PhD implies to focus only on that however will check what you suggest, regards