Bioinformatics Technicians

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Computer & Mathematical
• O*NET-SOC code: 15-2099
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Analyze or manipulate bioinformatics data using software packages, statistical applications, or data mining techniques.
• Extend existing software programs, web-based interactive tools, or database queries as sequence management and analysis needs evolve.
• Maintain awareness of new and emerging computational methods and technologies.
• Conduct quality analyses of data inputs and resulting analyses or predictions.
• Enter or retrieve information from structural databases, protein sequence motif databases, mutation databases, genomic databases or gene expression databases.
• Develop or maintain applications that process biologically based data into searchable databases for purposes of analysis, calculation, or presentation.
• Confer with researchers, clinicians, or information technology staff to determine data needs and programming requirements and to provide assistance with database-related research activities.
• Participate in the preparation of reports or scientific publications.
• Write computer programs or scripts to be used in querying databases.
• Document all database changes, modifications, or problems.
• Create data management or error-checking procedures and user manuals.
• Develop or apply data mining and machine learning algorithms.

Tools and technology

Apache Subversion SVN, C, C++, Git, Hypertext markup language HTML, IBM SPSS Statistics, Jenkins CI, Linux, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Data Scientists
• Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars
• Biological Technicians
• Database Architects
• Statistical Assistants
• Database Administrators
• Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists
• Social Science Research Assistants

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Bioinformatics Technicians — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.