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Sixth Bioinformatics Open Source Conference

Posted by timothy on from the you-can-build-us dept.

Shipud writes "The sixth Bioinformatics Open Source Conference will take place this June in Detroit, MI. Open source licensed software has proven to be the most popular and useful for bioinformatics research. This includes the EMBOSS suite for sequence analysis, the Biopython; Bioperl, and Biojava collaborativelty constructed toolboxes; the ubiquitous RasMol and PyMol molecular visualization tools, and more, much more. Here is one opinion as to why open source and collaborative development have been such a raging success even at big pharma, despite the apparent IP hurdles."

4 of 19 comments (clear)

  1. Bioinformatics.org by gotgenes · · Score: 4, Informative

    Many of these open-source projects are hosted at bioinformatics.org. The site also contains great information in the FAQ such as definitions of bioinformatics, colleges and universities that offer programs, both undergraduate and graduate level, in bioinformatics, and discussion of skills required or suggested for the area of study.

    --
    It's such a fine line between stupid and clever.
  2. hello? bioruby? by OmniVector · · Score: 2, Informative

    i like how the submitter listed all those off, and failed to mention bioruby. thanks

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    - tristan
  3. Re:How's the career? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I love my job and feel happy too. I have a degree in computer science and another in biochem. There are days i spend analysing data, running experiments in our wet lab, and days when I work on databases or small programs. The fact is, i never get bored and my name ends up on alot of our publications. There are bioinformatics people who only work with computers and develop algorithms and programs. It all depends on your background -bioinformatics is basically a combination of computer science and biological sciences.

    Bioinformatics IS a field now. Alot of schools across Canada and U.S are offering undergrad and grad bioinformatics degrees. No, it is possible to be cosidered ONLY a bioinformatician and nothing else...

  4. Re:How's the career? by J.Y.Kelly · · Score: 2, Informative
    I think that a more realistic view of bioinformatics is slowly emerging. A few years back everyone was saying that purely theory based bioinformatics was going to replace much of the current bench work - and this has largely failed to materialise.

    What has happened is that bioinformatics has become more pervasive in the general research community, and this has presented opportunities for pure bioinformaticians. I think that there are two potential roles for bioinformaticians:
    1. Development/Research - These are the people who develop new analysis techniques and write the tools which eventually become available to everyone. They are usually grant funded and work like any other research group.

    2. (What I do - and am very happy with thankyou!) Practical Bioinformatics - Bioinformatians who work alongside wet bench groups to help manage and analyse their data. They use and adapt the techniques developed and make them accesible to bench science.

    Unfortunately it seems that a lot of the new batch of bioinformatics graduates (mostly MScs) don't fall easily into either of these camps. They often transfer straight from a biology BSc to a bioinformatics MSc, and emerge at the end with computing skills too basic to take up a development post, and have no experience to be able to undertake a practical or advisory role. Not surprisingly they then have problems finding the job they expected to be waiting for them.