Bioinformatics is now intrinsic to life science research, but the past decade has witnessed a continuing deficiency in this essential expertise. Basic data stewardship is still taught relatively rarely in life science education programmes, creating a chasm between theory and practice, and fuelling demand for bioinformatics training across all educational levels and career roles. Concerned by this, surveys have been conducted in recent years to monitor bioinformatics and computational training needs worldwide. This article briefly reviews the principal findings of a number of these studies. We see that there is still a strong appetite for short courses to improve expertise and confidence in data analysis and interpretation; strikingly, however, the most urgent appeal is for bioinformatics to be woven into the fabric of life science degree programmes. Satisfying the relentless training needs of current and future generations of life scientists will require a concerted response from stakeholders across the globe, who need to deliver sustainable solutions capable of both transforming education curricula and cultivating a new cadre of trainer scientists.

Unjustified killing of badgers in Kyushu An ecological crisis is unfolding on Kyushu Island, Japan. Thousands of Japanese badgers (Meles anakuma) are being culled illegally without scientific advice or strategic planning. We urge the government to intervene and work with ecologists to establish whether this increase in culling is warranted. Justified culls should then be planned, regulated, monitored for effectiveness and subjected to animal-welfare controls (see Nature 543, 18-19; 2017). Badgers are protected under Japanese law. Typically, some 200 are legally culled every year in Kyushu's Kagoshima prefecture to prevent crop destruction. But, inexplicably, local farmers killed 4,000 badgers last year. And because the Japanese name for badger-anaguma-is a generic term for all face-masked mesocarnivores, species such as raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus) and raccoons (Procyon lotor) are also being exterminated. To encourage farmers to deal with problem animals, the local authorities offer the equivalent of US$25 for each badger tail or each carcass photographed. Locals therefore stand to profit from the culling. Another factor could be the trend for exotic bush meat in exclusive Tokyo restaurants. In our view, formal regulation of this culling is essential. Proper meat controls are also needed to prevent food poisoning and the spread of parasitic infections to humans.

No abstract

One sentence summary: Networking is an important activity that features in many career success stories; vital for accessing communities, it is a recognised competency in the job-search process, helping bioscience PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to gain an advantage in an intensely competitive job market. Editor: Beatrix Fahnert † Sarah Blackford, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9386-2413 ABSTRACTWith an ever more competitive global labour market, coupled with an ever-increasing population of PhD-qualified graduates, the ability to communicate effectively and build strategic connections with others can be advantageous in the job-search process. Whether in pursuit of a tenure-track or non-academic position, many postdoctoral researchers and PhD students will benefit from networking as early as possible to enhance their career prospects. Sometimes viewed cynically as 'using people' or dismissed as 'the old boy network,' the ability to make meaningful connections and build relationships can be more valuable than other job-related skills in order to gain entry to, and progress within, many professions. This mini-review highlights the positive influence of networking and how bioscience PhD students and postdoctoral researchers can harness the power of communities to achieve career success. It is argued that those who make connections and promote personal patronage through networking can gain an advantage over their contemporaries. A summary of key theories and research studies that underpin the practice of networking provides credence to these assertions, which are further substantiated with examples pertinent to the academic community. Although primarily focussed on the biosciences, much of the content is applicable to other scientists at a similar career stage.

This study reports on the career management and career choice preferences of a sample of bioscience postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers according to their personality type as determined using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Correlations can be found but other decision-making processes come into play and are more influential regarding career choices.