Bioinformatics Scientist

Bioinformatics Scientists use computers to store, retrieve, and analyze genetic information for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, many of which are developing gene therapies to prevent, treat, and cure illnesses like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and even asthma. Combining computer science with biology for the purpose of medical research, the field of bioinformatics is a collaboration between man and machine.

Here’s how it works: Because people keep massive amounts of genetic information inside them, Bioinformatics Scientists collect DNA and protein samples that contain molecular data about the human body, which they then store electronically so that Scientists around the world can access and study it. As a Bioinformatics Scientist, you’re part researcher and part Computer Programmer, building the databases in which information is stored, creating algorithms that are used to process information, and extracting information for the purpose of analyzing it.

In collaboration with Biologists, you basically collect, organize, and interpret genetic data for the purpose of building computer models that will help you discover patterns that eventually lead to innovations in gene-based medical treatments.

Working in laboratories, classrooms, and factories, alongside Engineers, Technicians, and Geneticists, you’re a modern-day Christopher Columbus. Because there’s no more earth left to discover, you’re leading mankind’s excursion into himself!