Jobs and Scholarship

• What is Bioinformatics & why it is needed? 
• 
  Biotech research generates such massive volumes of information, so quickly that we need newer and swifter ways of crunching the deluge of data (much of it hopelessly jumbled) churned out by the research labs. Mining, digitising and indexing this enormous quantum of data requires high-end computational technology and sophisticated software solutions. 
• Is Bioinformatics industry is really Potential? 
  
  Representing a marriage of IT and biotechnology, bioinformatics is poised to be one of the most prodigious growth areas in the next two decades. Currently valued at around $ 1 billion, the industry is expected to grow exponentially over the next 10 years stretching the very boundaries of biotechnology �transforming an essentially lab-based science into an information science yielding rare biological insights and hastening the discovery of new drugs.Globally, the biotech computing sector is estimated to touch a whopping $30 billion by 2003 and $ 60 billion in 2005. This in turn will create a corresponding boom in job opportunities. 
• What type of people did bioinformatics require? 
  
  Companies need cross-functional manpower at all levels � biologists with IT skills, or IT professionals with a serious interest in biology (just one of the skills is not enough) who can offer complete cost-effective database solutions to pharma and genome-based biotech companies all over the world. 
• What type of work available in Bioinformatics? 
  
  There is no such thing as a typical career path in this field. Bioinformaticians need to perform two critical roles: develop IT tools embodying novel algorithms and analytical techniques, and apply existing tools to achieve new insights into molecular biology. However, you must remember that although powerful and highly specialised in itself, bioinformatics is only a part of biotechnology. Getting a DNA sequence coding for a new protein does not automatically make it useful. Unless this information is converted into useful processes and products, it serves no purpose. You can not, for instance, have a virtual drug or a virtual vaccine. We need real products. And we need to develop our own new molecules (particularly if we have to survive in the new IPR regime).
  
• What type of career opportunities available in Bioinformatics? 
  
  There are different types of career opportunities available for different stream students,
  Life Sciences: 
  Scientific Curator, Gene Analyst, Protein Analyst, Phylogenitist, Research Scientist / Associate.
  Computer Science / Engineering: 
  Data base programmer, Bio-informtics software developer, Computational biologist, Network Administrator / Analyst.
  Applied Science: 
  Structural analyst, Molecular Modeler, Bio-statistician, Bio-mechanics, Database programmer.
  Pharmaceutial Science:
• Cheminformatician, Pharmacogenetician, Pharmacogenomics, Research Scientist / Associate. 
• Name some specific areas that fall within the scope of Bioinformatics? 
  
  Here are some specific areas that fall within the scope of Bioinformatics:
  Sequence assembly : The genome of an organism is assembled from thousands of fragments which must be correctly �stitched� together. This process, which requires the use of sophisticated computer-based methods, is carried out by a specialist in Bioinformatics.
  Database design and maintenance: Many pharmaceutical companies maintain private data banks of gene sequences and other biological and chemical information. These repositories must be continually updated with data generated internally and from outside sources. This is a challenging task, and the design and maintenance of these complex databases has become an important part of Bioinformatics.
  Sequence (gene) analysis: Once the DNA sequence of a fragment of the genome has been determined, the work has just begun; one must next understand what the function of the gene is. This involves locating regions of the gene that code for a protein product that are involved in regulation and control and also finding those sections of the gene (introns) that are clipped out and discarded. The gene may be compared against databases of known genes with well-understood function, to find clues to its role in health or disease. All of these analyses are carried out using powerful computers and specialized software, and many would consider this activity the most important area of focus within Bioinformatics.
• Proteomics: A relatively new area, proteomics studies not the entire genome, but rather the portion of the genome that is expressed in particular cells. This often involves cutting-edge technology, such as the use of micro arrays (�DNA-on-a-chip�) which allows the expression level of thousands of genes in a cell sample to be quickly determined. Once a large and diverse database of expression data has been collected, the next step is to identify connections between the patterns of expression of genes and a particular disease state. In this way, likely targets for drug and/or gene therapy can be located. Bioinformatics specialists work closely with bench scientists to accomplish the �data mining� that lies behind this next wave of the pharmaceutical industry.
  Drug discovery: It's not easy to design drugs that choose their targets this efficiently. In fact, it's so difficult that drug companies have hardly ever tried. They have relied instead on trial and error, testing hundreds of potential drugs in animals to find a few that actually cure without killing. But these molecular crapshoots are terribly wasteful, which is why drug designers are today turning to a fast-growing new area of computer science known as bioinformatics to fuel their endless quest for newer drugs and better targets.
  Bioinformatics specialists must acquire an unusual background, an eclectic blend of molecular biology, chemistry, and computer science. They work in close collaboration with bench scientists, helping them to plan and organize experiments and data collection so as to maximize the production of reliable and useful information. They are found in academic, government and industrial research labs.
• What skills should a Bioinformatician have? 
  
  According to the scientist working at companies such as Celera Genomics and Eli Lilly, the following "core requirements" for bioinformaticians:
  >> Fairly deep background in some aspect of molecular biology. It can be biochemistry, molecular biology, molecular biophysics, or even molecular modeling, but without a core of knowledge of molecular biology is like, "run into brick walls too often."
  >> Understanding the central dogma of molecualr biology, how and why DNA sequence is transcribed into RNA and translated into protein is vital.
  >> Should have substantial experience with atleast one or two major molecular biology software 
• packages, either for sequence anlaysis or molecualr modeling. The experience of learning one of these packages makes it much easier to learn to use other software quickly.
  >> Should be comfortable working in a command-line computing environment. Working in Linux or Unix will provide this experience.
  >> Should have experience with programming in a computer language such as Java, Unix, C, C++, RDBMS such as Oracle and Sybase, CORBA, Perl or Python, CGI and web scripting. Source: Extracted from the book "Developing Bioinformatics Computer Skills" by Cynthia Gibbs & Per Jambeck, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc 
• How much salary did Bioinformatician get? 
  
  India: 
  Starting with a package of Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000, you can expect Rs 20,000 with a couple of years of experience under your belt. In fact, the acute shortage of experts in the field has given rise to active poaching of scientists from premier research institutions. The going price for bioinformaticians with a year's experience is upwards of Rs 50,000 per month.
  Source: www.tribuneindia.com 
  Abroad Countries: 
  Starting salaries in the USA range between $60,000 and $ 90,000 for professionals with a couple of years of experience.
  Average salaries in biotech and pharmaceutical companies are as follows:
  Clinical Research 
  * Associate: $51,500
  *Senior associate: $65,000
  *Manager: $85,000
  *Clinical research physician: $90,000200,000
  *Senior laboratory technician: $34,000
  *Junior laboratory technician: $21,715
  Biostatistics 
  *MS entry-level: $74,500
  *PhD entry-level: $110,000
  Regulatory Affairs 
  *Associate: $52,000
  *Senior associate: $76,000
  Quality Assurance 
  * Specialist: $54,500
  *Engineer: $58,000
  *President/General manager: $94,000$400,000 
• In 1999, average earnings of scientists employed by the federal government were: 
  *General biologists: $56,000
  *Microbiologists: $62,600
  *Physiologists: $71,300
  *Geneticists: $68,200
  Average salary offers in 1999 for those with degrees in biological science were: 
  *BS: $29,000
  *MS: $34,450
  *PhD: $45,700
  Median earnings in industries employing the greatest number of biological and medical scientists in 1997 were: 
  *Federal government: $48,600
  *Pharmaceuticals: $46,300
  *Research and testing services: $40,800
  *State government: $38,000
  Sources: Stax Research (1999), Abbott, Langer & Associates (1999), and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 
• What are the real industry requirements? 
  
  There are distinct categories of professionals that the industry needs:
  1. Computer Programmers, Mathematicians and people trained in Physics, Statistics etc. who develop software tools and applications for biotechnology and life science companies. They are cross trained in life sciences, such as molecular biology, DNA sequence analysis and in addition that they would need skills in writing algorithms and codes for developing such programs. A very specific training is required for such professionals to meet the need of life sciences companies. 
• 2. People with a background in life sciences who are the end users of such programs and packages and they use these tools to translate the information into tangible products such as new molecules, drugs, enzymes etc. They can conduct their R&D program more effectively if they are cross-trained in computing skills. They can also be Business Analysts for life science companies. 
• Source: www.ocimumbio.com 
• Is it easier to move from biology to computers or the reverse? 
  
  The answer depends on whether you are talking to a computer scientist who �does' biology or a molecular biologist who �does' computing. Most of what you will read in the popular press is that the importance of interdisciplinary scientists cannot be over-stressed and that the young people getting the top jobs in the next few years will be those graduating from truly interdisciplinary programs.
  However, there are many types of bioinformatics jobs available, so no one background is ideal for all of them. The fact is that many of the jobs available currently involve the design and implementation of programs and systems for the storage, management and analysis of vast amounts of DNA sequence data. Such positions require in-depth programming and relational database skills which very few biologists possess and so it is largely the computational specialists who are filling these roles.
  This is not to say the computer-savvy biologist doesn't play an important role. As the bioinformatics field matures there will be a huge demand for outreach to the biological community as well as the need for individuals with the in-depth biological background necessary to sift through gigabases of genomic sequence in search of novel targets. It will be in these areas that biologists with the necessary computational skills will find their niche.
  Source: www.biospectrumindia.com 
• How to become a bioinformatics expert? 
  
  Bioinformatics combines the tools and techniques of mathematics, computer science and biology in order to understand the biological significance of a variety of data. So if you like to get into this new scientific field you should be fond of these �classic' disciplines. Because the field is so new, almost everyone in it did something else before. Some biologist went into bioinformatics by picking up programming but others entered via the reverse route.
  Source: www.biospectrumindia.com