Delivering bioinformatics training: bridging the gaps between computer science and biomedicine

Biomedical researchers have always sought innovative methodologies to elucidate the underlying biology in their experimental models. As the pace of research has increased with new technologies that 'scale-up' these experiments, researchers have developed acute needs for the information technologies which assist them in managing and processing their experiments and results into useful data analyses that support scientific discovery. The application of information technology to support this discovery process is often called bioinformatics. We have observed a 'gap' in the training of those individuals who traditionally aid in the delivery of information technology at the level of the end-user (e.g. a systems analyst working with a biomedical researcher) which can negatively impact the successful application of technological solutions to biomedical research problems. In this paper we describe the roots and branches of bioinformatics to illustrate a range of applications and technologies that it encompasses. We then propose a taxonomy of bioinformatics as a framework for the identification of skills employed in the field. The taxonomy can be used to assess a set of skills required by a student to traverse this hierarchy from one area to another. We then describe a curriculum that attempts to deliver the identified skills to a broad audience of participants, and describe our experiences with the curriculum to show how it can help bridge the 'gap'.