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3 years ago in Bioinformatics By Varun

How can bioinformaticians collaborate in molecular biology projects?

In my lab, we're starting a project that requires both high-throughput sequencing and functional validation. I'm a molecular biologist, and I sometimes struggle to communicate my experimental needs to our bioinformatics team in a way that yields useful analysis. I'm looking for practical strategies to bridge this common gap from the very start of a project.

 

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By Kriya Answered 2 years ago

Based on my experience in several large consortia, the key is embedding the bioinformatician as a co-investigator from the grant-writing stage, not a service provider brought in at the data analysis phase. I recommend holding joint weekly meetings where the molecular biologist explains the biological question and experimental constraints, and the bioinformatician explains data structures and computational possibilities. This builds a shared language. Start by co-designing the experimental pipeline and the analysis plan simultaneously; this prevents mismatches later. Mutual respect for each other's expertise is the non-negotiable foundation.

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