Bioinformatics Technicians
Apply principles and methods of bioinformatics to assist scientists in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. Apply bioinformatics tools to visualize, analyze, manipulate or interpret molecular data. May build and maintain databases for processing and analyzing genomic or other biological information.
Sample of reported job titles:
Bioinformatics Analyst, Bioinformatics Specialist, Bioinformatics Technician, Biotechnician, Museum Informatics Specialist, Research Scientist, Scientific Informatics Analyst
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Develop or maintain applications that process biologically based data into searchable databases for purposes of analysis, calculation, or presentation.
- Enter or retrieve information from structural databases, protein sequence motif databases, mutation databases, genomic databases or gene expression databases.
- Monitor database performance and perform any necessary maintenance, upgrades, or repairs.
- Analyze or manipulate bioinformatics data using software packages, statistical applications, or data mining techniques.
- Confer with researchers, clinicians, or information technology staff to determine data needs and programming requirements and to provide assistance with database-related research activities.
Technology Skills
- Access software:Avaya Identity Engines
- Analytical or scientific software:Basic Local Alignment Search Tool BLAST,Bioconductor,Bowtie,Burrows-Wheeler Aligner BWA,ClustalW,Cufflinks,Data visualization software,Genome Analysis Toolkit GATK,GENSCAN,IBM SPSS Statistics,PHYLIP,SAS statistical software,The MathWorks MATLAB,Thermo Fisher Scientific Ion Reporter,TopHat
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software:Microsoft SharePoint
- Customer relationship management CRM software:Customer relationship management CRM software
- Data base management system software:Microsoft SQL Server
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Working with Computers:Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Analyzing Data or Information:Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
- Processing Information:Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Getting Information:Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
- Analyze operational or research data.
- Confer with coworkers to coordinate work activities.
- Develop computer or online applications.
- Develop data analysis or data management procedures.
- Enter information into databases or software programs.
Work Context
- Electronic Mail:87% responded"Every day"
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled:81% responded"Every day"
- Spend Time Sitting:81% responded"Continually or almost continually"
- Physical Proximity:70% responded"Slightly close (e.g., shared office)"
- Work With Work Group or Team:60% responded"Extremely important"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Reading Comprehension:Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Learning:Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving:Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Knowledge
- Computers and Electronics:Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Mathematics:Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- English Language:Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Biology:Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 51%Bachelor's Degree
- 41%Master's Degree
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Written Comprehension:The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Deductive Reasoning:The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning:The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Oral Comprehension:The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Information Ordering:The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Interests
- Investigative:Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Conventional:Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
- Independence:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Support:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Working Conditions:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Cooperation:Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Analytical Thinking:Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
- Achievement/Effort:Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
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