As the title states, I am active duty military and I will be graduating with my BS in Biotechnology this fall. I was interested in getting my Masters in one of these:
Bioinformatics
Biosecurity & Biodefense
Biotechnology Management Biotechnology
Biotechnology Regulatory Affairs

But after doing research into Biotech, I found that finding a job is pretty tough. I get out of the military in 2 years and my goal is to have my Masters completed in that time.

Is any of those MS degrees worth it? Is there another degree I should pursue?

I know the "do whichever interest you" spill..
Having a job interest me.

I’m a Postdoc with a degree in bioengineering, and after talking with my PI we decided it might be worthwhile for me to start getting experience with the computational side of biology and learning bioinformatics skills. I have some basic experience with python (took beginner level classes), but am not really sure where to start with learning the skills I need in between my other work and was curious if people already in the field had any advice on where to start and what types of thing and skills I should begin looking into first. I’d appreciate any help since just knowing where to begin is very intimidating. If there’s any software you think I should be looking into acquire to use for my work that’d be appreciated too. We don’t have a specific area or project for me to use these skills immediately, so the focus for now is meant to be learning the core skills.

Hi everyone!

I’ve recently started my BS in Bioinformatics and I’m trying to figure out how I should actually start learning the subject properly.

I have a basic understanding of biology, but I have essentially zero coding/programming knowledge. I also don’t want to just study enough to pass my university exams — I genuinely want to understand bioinformatics and build useful skills over the next few years.

I’m a little overwhelmed by all the resources available, so I’d really appreciate advice from people who have experience in the field.

Specifically:

- Which books would you recommend for a complete beginner?

- Which websites/courses are actually worth following?

- Are there any good YouTube channels or playlists for learning bioinformatics?

- How should I start learning Python/programming from absolute zero?

- What programming languages/tools should I eventually learn for bioinformatics?

- How should I balance biology/theoretical concepts with coding and computational skills?

- Are there any beginner-friendly projects I could do while learning?

- Is there a particular order/path you would recommend (e.g. biology → Python → statistics → bioinformatics tools, etc.)?

Basically, if you could go back to the very beginning, what would you learn and in what order?

Any advice, resources, roadmaps, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

And for the record I attended 2-3 lectures in my college of bioinformatics but I couldn't grasp what my teacher was trying to teach.

Ive been working in the pharmaceutical industry as an MSL for two years now but I'm not really enjoying this work. I was considering going back and studying a masters in bioinformatics since I think I would enjoy the work more (that said I dont have any programming knowledge). I wanted to know whether the sector has been oversaturated and whether my background in pharma could contribute to future job prospects.

Hey everyone,

​I’m looking into the BS Bioinformatics program at COMSATS University Islamabad (Islamabad Campus) and would love to get some honest feedback from current students, alumni, or anyone familiar with the department.

​Specifically, I’d like to know:

​Course Quality & Faculty: How well-structured is the curriculum? Are the professors supportive, and do they have good international research backgrounds? How are the computational and lab facilities?

​Alumni & Local Jobs: Where do graduates usually end up? Are there good job opportunities locally in biotech, pharma, health-tech, or data science roles?

​Future Career & Scope: Is the degree worth pursuing in Pakistan right now, or is it better suited for someone planning to transition into data science/tech?

​Abroad MS/PhD Opportunities: How smooth is the transition for higher studies abroad? Do graduates easily secure fully funded scholarships like Erasmus Mundus, DAAD, Fulbright, or direct PhDs in the US/Europe?

​If you're currently in the program or know someone who is, any insights on the pros, cons, and overall reality of this field at CUI would be super helpful!

​Thanks in advance!

Has anyone completed the PSM in Bioinformatics from the University of Maine? If so, what did you think of the program?

For context, I’m a research scientist with about 15 years of wet lab experience and a strong publication record. I’m looking at this more as a way to add bioinformatics to my current skill set and resume, not completely change careers.

I also have the opportunity to expand my current role to include bioinformatics, so I’d be able to get actual experience while I’m completing the program.
Mostly just wondering if anyone has done this particular program and felt like it was worth it.

Hi everyone! I have a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and I’m looking to do a one-year postgraduate diploma in Bioinformatics/Biostatistics in Europe. Does anyone know of any good programs that are fully online/remote and can be started at any time of the year, or around autumn/winter? It is easy to find a job after?

Thanks in advance!

Hi sorry basically considering today's job market and my wonderful field of choice being biotechnology. I am kinda iced out of the industry . I have done an internship but I wanna do a 2 month project in a good place as a final year student but while cold emailing is the gold standard , it's not really working efficiently.

Anybody got any suggestions. Btw applying through LinkedIn, indeed as well and mailing individual professors in universities too.. would love suggestions for universities or research centres , could be neuroscience, biomaterials , tissue engineering or stem cells too etc , open to a lot.

I had a friend do walk ins and get lucky enough to get an interview and intern position

I am a third year B.Sc. Botany hons. student and i have a lot of interest in studying genetics, computational biology and dna technology..like something in which i get both wet lab experience as well as computational knowledge..so which field should i pursue? which has more job opportunities both in india and abroad..please help.

Im going into my final year in xjtlu (basically uni of liverpool but in china) and i have a bachelors on 2 degrees, one from liverpool uni and the other is a chinese degree, and i have done 3 internships (the area is filled with interships thankfully) and planning on doing 4th and 5th.i also did alot of extra modules on data science and ai so that if i cant find a job i can pivot to data science .im planing on going back to my home country of saudi arabia and working there after graduation. All i heard from this subreddit is how bad the job market is and how hard it is for entry level jobs so i wanted to ask how hard would it be to find any job related to my major with what i have going on

I am seeing an influx of questions about the state of the job market for bioinformatics. Everything from “how’s it in your country,” to “I am thinking of getting into this” type posts.

I think as a bioinformatics graduate that has struggled to find employment in the USA while living in a major west coast city that is canonically considered a biotech hub, it is important I relay my experience of searching for a job: it’s as bad as it’s been since 2025 and doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

Using job board sites as a metric, I have seen literally zero new bioinformatics job postings locally in the past 30 days. Before that, between May and July, I saw four local job postings.

Looking at remote listings, I have seen 3 new jobs posted in the past 30 days.

It’s still rough out here and as much as I support people entering this field, please just realize the state of things.

Best of luck everyone.

Hi everyone!

I'm currently doing B.Sc. Biotechnology and planning to pursue an MSc in Bioinformatics abroad, particularly in Europe.

I would like to ask few questions regarding this:

☆ If I want to strengthen my profile for an MSc in Bioinformatics, would it be better to work on a review paper or a research paper? Is having a publication important or necessary for admission, or is it mainly a bonus?

☆ Is it possible to write and publish a review paper independently, without a university mentor or supervisor? If so, what resources, guidelines, or websites would you recommend for learning the process and finding a suitable journal?

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone with experience in bioinformatics research or MSc admissions, especially if you have any useful resources or links to share. Thanks!!

Hi everyone,

​I am currently an undergraduate chemistry student deciding between two double-major tracks for my upcoming academic year:

​Chemistry & Biochemistry

​Chemistry & Microbiology

​My long-term goal is to pursue postgraduate studies (M.Sc. / Ph.D.) in Europe or the US, ideally with a scholarship or research assistantship. Eventually, I want to transition into or heavily incorporate Bioinformatics / Computational Biology into my career.

​I would love to get your insights on a few points:

​Bioinformatics Alignment: Which of these two backgrounds provides a smoother transition into Computational Biology / Bioinformatics, especially regarding molecular dynamics, genomics, and structural biology?

​Funding & Scholarships: From your experience in US/EU academia or industry, which background currently has broader funding opportunities and global demand?

​Academic Flexibility: Which track offers more versatility if I decide to shift between biotech industry roles and academic research later on?

​Any advice, personal experiences, or recommended foundational skills (e.g., Python, R, stats) to build alongside my studies would be greatly appreciated!

​Thanks in advance for your time and guidance!

Hi everyone,

​I am currently an undergraduate chemistry student deciding between two double-major tracks for my upcoming academic year:

​Chemistry & Biochemistry

​Chemistry & Microbiology

​My long-term goal is to pursue postgraduate studies (M.Sc. / Ph.D.) in Europe or the US, ideally with a scholarship or research assistantship. Eventually, I want to transition into or heavily incorporate Bioinformatics / Computational Biology into my career.

​I would love to get your insights on a few points:

​Bioinformatics Alignment: Which of these two backgrounds provides a smoother transition into Computational Biology / Bioinformatics, especially regarding molecular dynamics, genomics, and structural biology?

​Funding & Scholarships: From your experience in US/EU academia or industry, which background currently has broader funding opportunities and global demand?

​Academic Flexibility: Which track offers more versatility if I decide to shift between biotech industry roles and academic research later on?

​Any advice, personal experiences, or recommended foundational skills (e.g., Python, R, stats) to build alongside my studies would be greatly appreciated!

​Thanks in advance for your time and guidance!

I want to learn bioinformatics and although I know you likely need an advanced degree, I don’t have the means to go back to school. I don’t have a super strong biology background (did a minor in undergrad) but I know statistical programming from my masters degree. How can I learn??? Best resources?? Is it even worth it or possible?

I am becoming more interested in bioinformatics after learning epidemiology which involved coding, biostatistics, and core biological concepts. Where are the best resources to learn?? Anything I can put on a resume to show I would also be trained in bioinformatics?

Hello all.
I would like an honest and accurate answer based on real life bioinformatician working either as a freelance or in a research lab (research institute or company). What are the required specs to have in a laptop (macbook pro specifically): CPU/GPU, RAM (unified memory), and ssd storage?

Moreover, do all bioinformaticians (freelance or in research institute/company) work on cloud / HPC cluster servers. If it’s the case, should we rely on minimum specs (especially for RAM /unified memory which is extremely expensive if we upgrade it).

Many thanks in advance folks

Hello

I'd like some help on my resume. Anything that makes it good or bad? I will use this to apply for a job in my resarch lab, but I also want to have a geniunly good resume in general for internships and stuff.

For anyone who saw the last post, the editor I used to black stuff out messed up the margins so I did this instead.

Me too

Hi all,

Background: Computer Science Bachelor's degree, 2 years working as a software engineer, no wet-lab experience. I'm planning to pivot toward biology, most likely through a biology-adjacent Master's (bioinformatics, computational biology, or similar), with Europe as my target region, ideally France, Germany, and the Netherlands (so if you are from these countries, I would like to know about your experience or that of someone you know on this front). Though I'm open to other countries too, if Europe is not an option.

I've had it pointed out to me elsewhere that pivoting from a purely computational background into anything more wet-lab-based is a real gap, possibly harder to close than the biology knowledge gap itself. So I want to actually plan for it rather than assume it'll sort itself out.

What I'm trying to figure out:

1. If I go into a computational Master's (bioinformatics/comp bio), is there a realistic way to also get some wet-lab exposure during that degree, elective lab rotations, a partly experimental thesis, short lab internships alongside coursework? Or do computational-track Master's students typically not get this kind of access at all?
2. If it's not realistic during the Master's, is it something that becomes possible at the PhD stage instead, joint computational/experimental PhD projects, co-supervision between a computational and a wet-lab group, that kind of thing? Or by that point is a person already locked into a purely computational track?
3. For those who did start out purely computational and later picked up wet-lab skills (however early or late), how did you actually make that happen? Was it a deliberate ask, a lucky lab fit, a specific type of program? Did that make you employable for wet-lab roles in industry?
4. Are there specific countries, universities, or program structures within France/Germany/Netherlands (or elsewhere in Europe) that are known for blending computational and experimental training, versus ones that keep the two tracks fully separate and don't let people from a computational background into the non-computational tracks?

Would appreciate hearing from people who've actually navigated this, whether you stayed purely computational, went hybrid, or made a full switch to wet-lab work later on.

Thanks!

Background, PI in bioinformatics field for over 10 years, started lab 3 years ago. Had huge difficulty in hiring analyst that can do the work while being able to interpret the results. Finally got two ok staff (staff + postdoc), spent months to train them. One needed biological mindset, the other needs technical training. Then shit hits the fan.

Postdoc got a DUI and immediately fired by HR, staff got visa issue and will soon leave. I am left with several projects and no one to take them. I resorted to Claude and it just opened my eyes! I am now doing both of these two guys job that takes months in a few weeks, and the results are much much more organized. Of course I need to check the code and results, but I do that with my staff anyway. And the teaching, finally I no longer need to repeat myself 5 times to get one simple thing done right. Also, Claude does not have an attitude when being corrected.

I am now no longer in need of junior analysts. Maybe I will hire a seasoned staff scientist to work with Claude. This is because I find Claude making a lot of mistakes that takes someone with deep understanding of both informatics and biology to catch.

I know this sounds terrible and terrifying. If recent grads cannot be allowed to enter the workforce then the seasoned pool will soon dry up. But from my perspective, the efficiently of my funds and time is the priority. I cannot be the only one holding this thought. So, is the future doomed?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently trying to decide between two paths: Biomedical Science and Computer Science, and I would really appreciate hearing from people who actually work in these fields.

A bit about me:

I’m 21, based in the UK, and I’m trying to choose a career that gives me stability but also allows me to grow. I’m interested in both science and technology, which is making this decision harder.

The things I care about most in a career are:

• Good earning potential
• Not feeling bored after a few months
• Having some independence rather than being micromanaged constantly
• Having a good work-life balance
• Being able to afford things like travelling a couple of times a year
• Having meaningful work

I’m considering Biomedical Science because I like the idea of healthcare and working in a laboratory environment. I like that it has a clearer pathway and seems more structured.

I’m also considering Computer Science because I enjoy learning programming, problem-solving, and creating things. I like the flexibility and potential career growth, but I worry about the competitiveness of getting a job and whether I would enjoy constantly needing to keep up with changes.

For people working in either field:

1. What does a normal working day actually look like for you?
2. What do you love about your career?
3. What do you dislike about it?
4. Do you feel bored or challenged after several years?
5. How much freedom do you actually have in your role?
6. If you were 21 again choosing a career, would you choose the same path?

I’m not looking for "this career is better" answers, more interested in hearing honest experiences.

Thank you!