Written by Michael Olufemi | Edited by Chidimma Nwaku
Introduce yourself and tell us where you had your undergraduate studies
My name is François Pape Diouf and I’m from Senegal. I graduated in 2021 from Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco, where I studied Biotechnology and AgroBiosciences.
How did you start your journey into Bioinformatics?
After my graduation, I decided to go more deep in the field of bioinformatics. My goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in Senegal. I know I need to learn some skills that will increase my knowledge and my chances of being accepted into grad school.
So, I started using online learning materials to know more about the subject but quickly felt limited by the lack of guidance and adequate learning resources & server. Therefore, I began searching for opportunities that offer both.
This is how I came across the HackBio genomics workshop. In addition to offering high-quality mentoring and a cluster/server where to perform all my work, the HackBio genomics track was a very good start to learn about genomics.
Tell us about your experience in HackBio. What skills did you acquire?
During the training, I acquired relevant skills in Linux, Git, GitHub, and BASH. I learned how to perform reads quality control, trimming, and alignment, variant calling, variant annotation, and genomics data analysis using different software.
The training has also helped me sharpen my skills in communication, problem-solving, and project management by working with people from different horizons, and different backgrounds.
What does the future look like for you?
I am confident that the skills I learnt in this workshop would definitely increase my chances of getting a PhD position. In fact, I am already in contact with a Professor who I think prefers me more because of the skills I’ve acquired.
Would you recommend HackBio Bioinformatics workshop to people?
Yes, I will. I highly recommend this workshop to all bioinformatics enthusiasts who don’t know where to start.
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