I am a Bioinformatician but I don't know programming! How do I survive?

Programming is essential for bioinformatics because bioinformatics involves processing and analyzing large amounts of biological data. The data generated by high-throughput sequencing, microarrays, and other experimental techniques can be incredibly complex, and require specialized tools to manage, analyze, and visualize. Programming is the foundation for developing these tools.

However, you are not a trickless pony if you somehow find it difficult to learn programming!

As a bioinformatician without programming skills, there are still several ways you can develop a successful career in the field. Here are a few options:

Focus on data analysis: While programming skills are important in bioinformatics, data analysis is also a critical skill. If you have a strong background in biology or a related field, you can leverage your domain expertise to focus on data analysis tasks. In most data analysis environments, there are already written scripts and code available that need to be run routinely to perform regular analysis activities. As long as you know how to work in Linux or a command line environment, you are saved.

Become a data steward or data manager: While it is difficult to do full programming, you should not shy away from data science completely. With minimal programming skills and a good understanding of databases, it is definitely a good choice to train yourself to become a data manager or a data steward. To be successful in this career track, you should understand the principles of data science, have a good hands-on training in database management systems or languages like SQL and also update yourself with latest technologies available like mySQL, MongoDB, ElasticDB, etc. You can find lots of help online if you want to pursue this track.

Become a data curator: Biological data is extremely complex and is very much similar to astroscience data. If you think of the universe with millions of galaxies, billions of stars, trillions of planets and the data that comes from each of them, you will realise that biological data is not very different in terms of number of organisms, number of cells, types of biomolecules and the biological states they are in. To make tangible meanings from all this knowledge requires a scientific professional with advanced education and training - that is you! You can help curate the complex data, remove noise, add value to this data. You could leverage your domain knowledge to help connect the dots, solve the puzzles of life.

Collaborate with programmers: Well, you may not be a pilot so it would be a wise idea to befriend a few pilots so you can fly with them as a co-pilot. Be a good co-pilot and do the minimal help with navigation and physical support at least. You can team up with a programmer to develop pipelines, scripts, and tools for analyzing data. Bioinformatics often requires collaboration between researchers with different skill sets.

Learn programming: You wish I didnt say this, but you can't simply avoid it. You may not be cardiologist, but you need to know a few first aid techniques like CPR. It is never too late to learn programming, and there are many online resources available to help you get started. Python and R are popular languages in bioinformatics and can be your good friends.

Pursue a master's degree or a diploma: Pursuing a master's degree or a diploma in bioinformatics can help you develop programming skills and gain a deeper understanding of the field. This can help you become more competitive in the job market. Online courses can be helpful but they are too short and you learn too little. The mantra is practice, practice, practice!!

Work in a bioinformatics core facility: This is an ultimate step. Be it a paid or unpaid position, working in a core facility will enlighten you in ways that you cannot imagine. Many universities and research institutions have core facilities that provide bioinformatics services to researchers. You can work in one of these facilities as a data analyst or research technician, which can provide valuable experience in the field. While it is unethical to work without pay, it wouldn't hurt to invest your time in upskilling yourself and making a whole career out of it!

Overall, while programming skills are important in bioinformatics, they are not the only factor in building a successful career. Leveraging your domain expertise, collaborating with programmers, learning programming, pursuing a master's degree, or working in a bioinformatics core facility can all be effective ways to develop a career in bioinformatics without strong programming skills.

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