the next hot jobs: Bioinformatics Engineer

In the past two years the U.S. economy lost more than 7 million jobs. Currently, the United States, nearly 10 per cent of the workforce who are unemployed. Because of the economic recovery is weak, people predicted the unemployment rate may be difficult in the next two years decreased significantly. However, even such a slump in the job market situation, there are some very optimistic about the employment prospects of the industry. Voice of America program is series of reports on financial aspect "future hot jobs" in the industry to introduce you to these different work. Today to introduce you to engineer biological information.

Bioinformatics (Bioinformatics) is typical of the emerging cross-disciplinary. Literally from the word can get some idea of their areas covered: that biology with informatics.

It sounds very stylish, very sophisticated, right? Indeed! This is a very, very popular line of business. Of course, salaries are also quite attractive. If you have certain qualifications and experience, salary up to six figures in U.S. dollars is also possible.

However, before entering this business, you have to accept this higher education. In recent years, American universities have set up such a cross-disciplinary projects: You can be Biology, and computer-related elective courses, and vice versa.

Located in the northeastern U.S. state of Rhode Island, Brown University (Brown University) is a pioneer in undergraduate education in this area. In 1996, the College will have a biological information of the undergraduate programs, will begin this fall to recruit PhD students of biological information.

Brown University Professor of Computer Science, Sorin Eastbourne Trail (Prof. Sorin Istrail) is that the "Ivy League" schools Computational Molecular Biology Center (Center for Computational Molecular Biology), director. He said the wide range of disciplines involved, the center will integrate the two biological department of Brown University, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Department's resources. Eastbourne Professor Lei Er described bioinformatics engineer.

"Biological information engineers need to have a computer, biology, biochemistry, physics, mathematics and other skills. Therefore, it is a cross-disciplinary fields. It also involves the so-called 'dry lab' (dry labs), for example, ways of thinking Laboratory , network lab. Therefore, this work requires a basic understanding of both biological and computer. "

Almost all of the biological information Engineer needs to have higher background. In many cases, the only undergraduate degree was not enough, the entry had a master's degree.

However, in view of this area is quite good employment prospects and decent wages, investment in education in this area is still worth it.

Engineers focus on the different fields of biological information, salaries are slightly different: for example, engage in research microbiologist at the annual salary 40,000 to 100,000 U.S. dollars respectively; annual salary of biological statistics from 70 thousand to 110 thousand U.S. dollars; molecular modeler and bioinformatics software developer can make each year from 60,000 to 100,000 U.S. dollars.

And other industries, low wages beginners, experience and talent and salary level is directly proportional. Also, there are commercial applications in the background of the company than normally stay out of the laboratory work for people who earn more.

The employment prospects of biological information engineering is quite good. Related jobs, such as gene sequencing, data applications, computer software tools, design and development of new drugs, as well as gene expression and human diseases such talents are required fields. No wonder Brown University Professor Lei Er Eastbourne this century called the "Biological Century." He believes that this aspect of the job market has great potential.

He said: "From the employment perspective, a computational biology or bioinformatics degree people have a huge opportunity. The evolution of this work is also very interesting."

Eastbourne Professor Lei Er said in the past most of this opportunity to work in research institutions, and now the trend is more the flow of applications, and both affect the flow of research funds, but also affects health care, statistics and computer applications to other fields.