Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#11

Post by pvaldes » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:23 PM UTC

> I'm interested in learning more about the skills needed to start a biotech company, but I'm lacking the masters degree in biology. What skills are actually needed to get into the field

You will need two basic skills

1) The skill to understand that trying to manipulate by yourself a delicate and exquisitely calibrated machine without knowing what you do, is a bad idea.

There is a fair possibility that you end with either bad products like a method for pursuing suspects based in DNA of a chunk of cut hair (made entirely of cheratin that does not have any DNA). Incorrect biological explanations or a very expensive machine broken are also probable results

2) The skill to hire a trained biologist that will do the job

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#12

Post by bbgm » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:23 PM UTC

bbgm wrote: post #9

There are two areas where you can jump in more easily with a CS/software background. Many companies are building informatics/analysis pipelines. That’s likely closer to what you know and you can pick up enough biology along the way. Alternatively there’s a lot of algorithm/classifier development you could jump into. It’s usually easier going the other way though. Biology is a complex beast.

To be more specific, the first company I worked at had three co-founders; an algorithms person, a functional biology expert, and someone with experience in building software teams. The first two came from academia.

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#13

Post by Ultimatt » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:29 PM UTC

dysoncdn wrote: post #3

Learn biochemistry not biology

Dunno the context of evolution goes a very long way even on the biochem.

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#14

Post by tomp » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:29 PM UTC

shpongled wrote: post #8

I'm in my 5th year of a chemical biology PhD and I'm looking to potentially move into computer science/data science (been programming for 15 years) after I graduate. Maybe we can just switch? I work with CRISPR for my project. In all seriousness, you are going to need a PhD if you want to truly understand all of the background of the field. Human biology/biochemistry is just about the most complex thing humans have e…

Can you explain your reasoning behind need a PhD? It makes sense to me why you should learn a lot to understand a complex field, but I fail to see why you should also spend a few years researching a very narrow subfield... wouldn't it be better to be a generalist and be able to apply your knowledge widely, as opposed to only understanding a tiny sliver of the whole field?

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#15

Post by el_cujo » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:32 PM UTC

tomp wrote: post #14

shpongled wrote: post #8

I'm in my 5th year of a chemical biology PhD and I'm looking to potentially move into computer science/data science (been programming for 15 years) after I graduate. Maybe we can just switch? I work with CRISPR for my project. In all seriousness, you are going to need a PhD if you want to truly understand all of the background of the field. Human biology/biochemistry is just about the most complex thing humans have e…

Can you explain your reasoning behind need a PhD ? It makes sense to me why you should learn a lot to understand a complex field, but I fail to see why you should also spend a few years researching a very narrow subfield... wouldn't it be better to be a generalist and be able to apply your knowledge widely, as opposed to only understanding a tiny sliver of the whole field?

Yeah I'm not sure I agree you need a full-blown PhD just to understand this stuff. Some-hands on work, definitely. I would say that you need a PhD to be taken seriously as a leader on the science-side of a biotech company though.

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#16

Post by buboard » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:35 PM UTC

shpongled wrote: post #8

I'm in my 5th year of a chemical biology PhD and I'm looking to potentially move into computer science/data science (been programming for 15 years) after I graduate. Maybe we can just switch? I work with CRISPR for my project. In all seriousness, you are going to need a PhD if you want to truly understand all of the background of the field. Human biology/biochemistry is just about the most complex thing humans have e…

> just about the most complex thing humans have ever studied

The question is if the methods are complex. AFAIK computational biology involves statistics, statistics and statistics. The systems themselves are incredibly complex and interconnected , but the abstraction levels of the math involved are not incredibly high.

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#17

Post by shpongled » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:38 PM UTC

tomp wrote: post #14

shpongled wrote: post #8

I'm in my 5th year of a chemical biology PhD and I'm looking to potentially move into computer science/data science (been programming for 15 years) after I graduate. Maybe we can just switch? I work with CRISPR for my project. In all seriousness, you are going to need a PhD if you want to truly understand all of the background of the field. Human biology/biochemistry is just about the most complex thing humans have e…

Can you explain your reasoning behind need a PhD ? It makes sense to me why you should learn a lot to understand a complex field, but I fail to see why you should also spend a few years researching a very narrow subfield... wouldn't it be better to be a generalist and be able to apply your knowledge widely, as opposed to only understanding a tiny sliver of the whole field?

Presumably, this hypothetical biotech startup is going to be focused on some narrow niche of CRISPR technology, so being a specialist is exactly what's required in my mind. If the OP just wants to learn about CRISPR he could probably do a masters or even a year or two of self study. I find it very unlikely that they would be able to come up with something novel and marketable without even more hands on time.

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#18

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:39 PM UTC

bbgm wrote: post #9

There are two areas where you can jump in more easily with a CS/software background. Many companies are building informatics/analysis pipelines. That’s likely closer to what you know and you can pick up enough biology along the way. Alternatively there’s a lot of algorithm/classifier development you could jump into. It’s usually easier going the other way though. Biology is a complex beast.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#19

Post by shpongled » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:39 PM UTC

buboard wrote: post #16

shpongled wrote: post #8

I'm in my 5th year of a chemical biology PhD and I'm looking to potentially move into computer science/data science (been programming for 15 years) after I graduate. Maybe we can just switch? I work with CRISPR for my project. In all seriousness, you are going to need a PhD if you want to truly understand all of the background of the field. Human biology/biochemistry is just about the most complex thing humans have e…

> just about the most complex thing humans have ever studied The question is if the methods are complex. AFAIK computational biology involves statistics, statistics and statistics. The systems themselves are incredibly complex and interconnected , but the abstraction levels of the math involved are not incredibly high.

Sure, I guess my wording wasn't clear. It is the system itself that is complex, not the equations or statistics we use

Re: Ask HN: Getting started in biology with a software background

#20

Post by fabian2k » Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 2:41 PM UTC

For most of the things you actually do in practice as a scientist in that field you generally need to be trained by someone that knows the particular area of biology and the specific methods you're using. It's not just about the general background knowledge, which is certainly important, but on top of that you need specific experience for each specialized area you work in.

Biology is a vast field, and there is simply an enormous amount to learn. And you also need to understand the methods and techniques used to perform experiments, which can get pretty deep into physics at times, and requires a lot of very specialized knowledge for many of the more complex methods. Statistics is also important for many types of experiments.

It's really not easy and fast to gain the necessary knowledge, people in the field generally have a bachelor/master and a PhD, and that is the start of your scientific career.