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Bits in Bio
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Nitro Bio

2024⁄2023

YoY Analysis

ByNelly Tian

Overview

The 2024 survey highlights the evolving TechBio community with a strong focus on innovation, global reach, and industry-driven solutions. As we continue to expand initiatives, Bits in Bio remains committed to supporting its members and the broader TechBio community through engaging platforms, diverse use cases, and the tools required to thrive in this fast-paced sector.

A Thriving, Industry-Focused Community

Bits in Bio continues to establish itself as a leading network for professionals at the intersection of technology and science. The latest survey reflects an increasingly dynamic and global membership:

  • Industry Presence Grows: 87% of respondents identify as working in industry, up from 75% in 2023. This reflects a stronger focus on applied research, commercialization, and industry-driven innovation.
  • International Reach Expands: Over 30% of respondents are based outside the US, marking an increase from 25% in 2023. New representation includes countries like Brazil, Denmark, and Romania, highlighting the community’s global appeal.

A Strong Base of Innovators and Small Teams

The TechBio community showcases a strong network of entrepreneurial talent and innovation.

  • Small Organizations, Big Impact: Over 60% of respondents work solo or in organizations with fewer than 100 employees, reflecting a vibrant ecosystem of startups, independent innovators, and niche teams.
  • Tech Backgrounds on the Rise: 31% of respondents come from software and IT organizations, up from 22% in 2023. Meanwhile, biotech and pharma remain dominant, with over 70% of respondents working in these sectors.
  • Diverse Roles: The TechBio community continues to be extremely multi-disciplinary, with 35% identifying as computational biologists or bioinformaticians, 25% in management, and 23% as data scientists.

Proprietary Models on the Rise

Innovators in the TechBio community are shifting toward developing custom tools and solutions tailored to their unique needs.

  • Custom Solutions Take the Lead: 60% of respondents use proprietary or in-house models regularly, surpassing GPT-4 (52%) and AlphaFold (34%).
  • Decreased Dependence on External Tools: This marks a departure from 2023, where 65% of respondents used GPT-4, reflecting a growing preference for bespoke, domain-specific models.

Emerging Technologies and Use Cases

Survey results highlight the increasing integration of advanced technologies into respondents’ workflows, revealing trends in lab automation, pipeline development, and machine learning objectives:

  • Lab Automation: Over 60% of respondents use lab automation for data acquisition and analysis, while 58% employ it for liquid handling, pipetting, and sample preparation/extraction (e.g., dilution, mixing, extraction). Other prominent applications include molecular biology workflows (e.g., PCR, sequencing) and high-throughput screening.
  • Pipeline Development: Data engineering and bioinformatics pipelines are a critical focus, with 33% of respondents building pipelines daily and 27% doing so weekly. Python is the predominant language of choice. The frequency of pipeline development also reflects the growing need for custom solutions to process, analyze, and visualize data effectively.
  • Machine Learning Objectives: ML is solidifying its role in tech-bio innovation, with 30% of respondents prioritizing library/in silico screening to accelerate drug discovery, 29% focusing on target identification/selection for therapeutic development, and 25% applying ML for lab automation. These trends highlight ML's ability to streamline repetitive tasks, optimize workflows, and enable real-time analytics in research processes.

Engagement Across Multiple Channels

Respondents are finding value in various aspects of Bits in Bio, with significant growth in community engagement:

  • Slack Community Takes the Spotlight: 58% of respondents identified the Slack community as the most valuable resource, a 10% year-over-year increase.
  • In-Person Meetups and Job Board Growth: In-person meetups (48%) and the Job Board/Channel (33%) have seen substantial growth in popularity compared to 2023.
  • Volunteer-Led Success: Thanks to dedicated Volunteer Leads, the TechBio community has expanded its reach through events, job postings, a weekly newsletter, and other initiatives.

Charting the Course: TechBio Trends from 2022 to 2024*

  • Keeping Up with the Field: While Twitter was the top source for staying informed about TechBio in 2022, the landscape shifted in 2023 and 2024. LinkedIn experienced a significant surge in popularity, cited by 65% of respondents in 2023 and an even higher 71% in 2024. Additionally, Bits in Bio Slack gained traction, ranking as the second most popular source for staying updated in the field during both 2023 and 2024.
  • Python Language Leads Consistently: Over the past three years, Python has consistently dominated as the primary programming language in the TechBio community. Over 90% of respondents reported using Python as their main language for data analysis, scripting to automate workflows, programming new web interfaces, and developing new tools and libraries.
  • Data Sources Usage: Interestingly, fewer survey respondents are working with data sources over time. In 2023, over 45% reported using them, dropping to 39% in 2024. Second and third places for data sources go to UniProt and literature, but their usage has also declined. For example, UniProt usage decreased from 37% in 2022 to 33% in 2023, and further to 32% in 2024.
  • Development Using AWS: AWS continues to be the leading platform among survey respondents. In 2023, 61% reported using AWS for development, increasing to 66% in 2024. This marks a steady upward trajectory from 59% in 2022.