Before you post to this subreddit, we strongly encourage you to check out the FAQBefore you post to this subreddit, we strongly encourage you to check out the FAQ.
Questions like, "How do I become a bioinformatician?", "what programming language should I learn?" and "Do I need a PhD?" are all answered there - along with many more relevant questions. If your question duplicates something in the FAQ, it will be removed.
If you still have a question, please check if it is one of the following. If it is, please don't post it.
What laptop should I buy?
Actually, it doesn't matter. Most people use their laptop to develop code, and any heavy lifting will be done on a server or on the cloud. Please talk to your peers in your lab about how they develop and run code, as they likely already have a solid workflow.
If you’re asking which desktop or server to buy, that’s a direct function of the software you plan to run on it. Rather than ask us, consult the manual for the software for its needs.
What courses/program should I take?
We can't answer this for you - no one knows what skills you'll need in the future, and we can't tell you where your career will go. There's no such thing as "taking the wrong course" - you're just learning a skill you may or may not put to use, and only you can control the twists and turns your path will follow.
If you want to know about which major to take, the same thing applies. Learn the skills you want to learn, and then find the jobs to get them. We can’t tell you which will be in high demand by the time you graduate, and there is no one way to get into bioinformatics. Every one of us took a different path to get here and we can’t tell you which path is best. That’s up to you!
Am I competitive for a given academic program?
There is no way we can tell you that - the only way to find out is to apply. So... go apply. If we say Yes, there's still no way to know if you'll get in. If we say no, then you might not apply and you'll miss out on some great advisor thinking your skill set is the perfect fit for their lab. Stop asking, and try to get in! (good luck with your application, btw.)
How do I get into Grad school?
See “please rank grad schools for me” below.
Can I intern with you?
I have, myself, hired an intern from reddit - but it wasn't because they posted that they were looking for a position. It was because they responded to a post where I announced I was looking for an intern. This subreddit isn't the place to advertise yourself. There are literally hundreds of students looking for internships for every open position, and they just clog up the community.
Please rank grad schools/universities for me!
Hey, we get it - you want us to tell you where you'll get the best education. However, that's not how it works. Grad school depends more on who your supervisor is than the name of the university. While that may not be how it goes for an MBA, it definitely is for Bioinformatics. We really can't tell you which university is better, because there's no "better". Pick the lab in which you want to study and where you'll get the best support.
If you're an undergrad, then it really isn't a big deal which university you pick. Bioinformatics usually requires a masters or PhD to be successful in the field. See both the FAQ, as well as what is written above.
How do I get a job in Bioinformatics?
If you're asking this, you haven't yet checked out our three part series in the side bar:
What should I do?
Actually, these questions are generally ok - but only if you give enough information to make it worthwhile, and if the question isn’t a duplicate of one of the questions posed above. No one is in your shoes, and no one can help you if you haven't given enough background to explain your situation. Posts without sufficient background information in them will be removed.
Help Me!
If you're looking for help, make sure your title reflects the question you're asking for help on. You won't get the right people looking at your post, and the only person who clicks on random posts with vague topics are the mods... so that we can remove them.
Job Posts
If you're planning on posting a job, please make sure that employer is clear (recruiting agencies are not acceptable, unless they're hiring directly.), The job description must also be complete so that the requirements for the position are easily identifiable and the responsibilities are clear. We also do not allow posts for work "on spec" or competitions.
Advertising (Conferences, Software, Tools, Support, Videos, Blogs, etc)
If you’re making money off of whatever it is you’re posting, it will be removed. If you’re advertising your own blog/youtube channel, courses, etc, it will also be removed. Same for self-promoting software you’ve built. All of these things are going to be considered spam.
There is a fine line between someone discovering a really great tool and sharing it with the community, and the author of that tool sharing their projects with the community. In the first case, if the moderators think that a significant portion of the community will appreciate the tool, we’ll leave it. In the latter case, it will be removed.
If you don’t know which side of the line you are on, reach out to the moderators.
The Moderators Suck!
Yeah, that’s a distinct possibility. However, remember we’re moderating in our free time and don’t really have the time or resources to watch every single video, test every piece of software or review every resume. We have our own jobs, research projects and lives as well. We’re doing our best to keep on top of things, and often will make the expedient call to remove things, when in doubt.
If you disagree with the moderators, you can always write to us, and we’ll answer when we can. Be sure to include a link to the post or comment you want to raise to our attention. Disputes inevitably take longer to resolve, if you expect the moderators to track down your post or your comment to review.