Professional profiles
professional profile
function in a professional context:
Bioinformaticians apply computer techniques and technologies to biology, biotechnology and medicine, analysing and describing highly complex biological systems and rapidly studying large quantities of data, or developing new methods for analysing data in the described sectors.
Bioinformaticians perform the following functions:
- Management and implementation of biological databases;
- Management and analysis of human genome DNA, considering data confidentiality, RNA and proteins for diagnostic purposes;
- Management of industrial biotechnology services, certification analysis and biological control laboratories, environmental monitoring services in national health services;
- Management and design of innovative technologies in computer science applied to medicine and biology (creation and management of medical, biological databases, access and research in databases);
- Application of bioinformatics methods to various biological and medical sectors at molecular level.
- Promotion and development of scientific and technological innovation both in research institutes and industry;
- Consulting for hospitals, biotechnological industries and pharmaceutical companies.
competencies associated to the function:
Bioinformaticians require the following competences and skills:
- Ability to consult public and private biological databases and develop them in house when necessary;
- Ability to establish correlations between genes and diseases, contributing to the development of models for understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype;
- Ability to manage and analyse data produced by diagnostic centres using molecular screening methods;
- Participation in project planning in medical, biotechnological and biological fields;
- Ability to design specific software to characterise complex biological systems;
- Ability to develop ad-hoc solutions to specific molecular biology and systemic problems;
- Ability to cooperate and share results and information with other professional figures such as biologists and computer experts;
- Group working skills, the ability to work by objectives, strong communication skills;
- Ability to work in an international context and relate to people from different cultural backgrounds.
career opportunities:
Bioinformaticians may work in:
- Data processing centres
- Laboratories working the fields of biomedicine, biopharmaceuticals, molecular biology, personalised medicine, food processing, pharmacology, environment and bio-nanotechnology
- Hospitals
- Food processing industries
- Pharmaceutical industries
- Chemical industries
- Public and private research centres.
Continuing to study
It gives access to third cycle studies (Dottorato di ricerca/Scuole di specializzazione) and master universitario di secondo livello.
