Mapping educational needs in bioinformatics in Brazil: adapting ISCB 3.0 competencies to a regional context

Bioinformatics drives modern biological discovery, and Brazil has become an important contributor to genomics and computational biology. However, bioinformatics education across the country struggles to meet diverse regional and professional demands. To respond to these challenges, the Regional Student Group of Brazil created an Educational Committee in 2019 to expand Portuguese-language resources and evaluate national training needs. Here, we apply the Core Competency 3.0 framework to establish a seven-domain training model spanning foundational biological, statistical, and computational skills, ethical principles, applied bioinformatics practices, communication abilities, and continuous professional development.

A nationwide survey of 375 respondents from more than 21 Brazilian states revealed pronounced geographic and career-based disparities in bioinformatics training. Individuals who primarily use bioinformatics tools, largely students, showed strong interest in phylogenetics and evolutionary analyses, while those focused on software and tool development prioritized computational methods. These findings demonstrate how educational needs differ across profiles and regions, emphasizing the importance of localized strategies to address Brazil's heterogeneous training landscape. Unlike broad competency frameworks, this data-driven approach identifies specific gaps and areas of high demand.

By integrating these insights, the Regional Student Group of Brazil proposes an equitable and scalable education model that supports curriculum development and helps strengthen training in regions with limited opportunities, offering a framework adaptable to global scientific communities facing similar socioeconomic challenges.