In this talk, Sebastian, a bioinformatics researcher and software engineer, shares his inspiring journey from wet lab biotechnology to computational bioinformatics. Hosted by Data Talks Club, this session explores how data science, AI, and open-source tools are transforming modern biological research — from DNA sequencing to metagenomics and protein structure prediction.

You’ll learn about: - The difference between wet lab and dry lab workflows in biotechnology - How bioinformatics enables faster insights through data-driven modeling - The MCW2 Graph Project and its role in studying wastewater microbiomes - Using co-abundance networks and the CC Lasso algorithm to map microbial interactions - How AlphaFold revolutionized protein structure prediction - Building scientific knowledge graphs to integrate biological metadata - Open-source tools like VueGen and VueCore for automating reports and visualizations - The growing impact of AI and large language models (LLMs) in research and documentation - Key differences between R (BioConductor) and Python ecosystems for bioinformatics

This talk is ideal for data scientists, bioinformaticians, biotech researchers, and AI enthusiasts who want to understand how data science, AI, and biology intersect. Whether you work in genomics, computational biology, or scientific software, you’ll gain insights into real-world tools and workflows shaping the future of bioinformatics.

Links: - MicW2Graph: https://zenodo.org/records/12507444 - VueGen: https://github.com/Multiomics-Analytics-Group/vuegen - Awesome-Bioinformatics: https://github.com/danielecook/Awesome-Bioinformatics

TIMECODES00:00 Sebastian’s Journey into Bioinformatics06:02 From Wet Lab to Computational Biology08:23 Wet Lab vs Dry Lab Explained12:35 Bioinformatics as Data Science for Biology15:30 How DNA Sequencing Works19:29 MCW2 Graph and Wastewater Microbiomes23:10 Building Microbial Networks with CC Lasso26:54 Protein–Ligand Simulation Basics29:58 Predicting Protein Folding in 3D33:30 AlphaFold Revolution in Protein Prediction36:45 Inside the MCW2 Knowledge Graph39:54 VueGen: Automating Scientific Reports43:56 VueCore: Visualizing OMIX Data47:50 Using AI and LLMs in Bioinformatics50:25 R vs Python in Bioinformatics Tools53:17 Closing Thoughts from Ecuador Connect with Sebastian Twitter - https://twitter.com/sayalaruanoLinkedin - https://linkedin.com/in/sayalaruano Github - https://github.com/sayalaruanoWebsite - https://sayalaruano.github.io/ Connect with DataTalks.Club: Join the community - https://datatalks.club/slack.htmlSubscribe to our Google calendar to have all our events in your calendar - https://calendar.google.com/calendar/r?cid=ZjhxaWRqbnEwamhzY3A4ODA5azFlZ2hzNjBAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQCheck other upcoming events - https://lu.ma/dtc-eventsGitHub: https://github.com/DataTalksClubLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/datatalks-club/Twitter - https://twitter.com/DataTalksClub - Website - https://datatalks.club/

At PyData Berlin, community members and industry voices highlighted how AI and data tooling are evolving across knowledge graphs, MLOps, small-model fine-tuning, explainability, and developer advocacy.

• Igor Kvachenok (Leuphana University / ProKube) combined knowledge graphs with LLMs for structured data extraction in the polymer industry, and noted how MLOps is shifting toward LLM-focused workflows.
• Selim Nowicki (Distill Labs) introduced a platform that uses knowledge distillation to fine-tune smaller models efficiently, making model specialization faster and more accessible.
• Gülsah Durmaz (Architect & Developer) shared her transition from architecture to coding, creating Python tools for design automation and volunteering with PyData through PyLadies.
• Yashasvi Misra (Pure Storage) spoke on explainable AI, stressing accountability and compliance, and shared her perspective as both a data engineer and active Python community organizer.
• Mehdi Ouazza (MotherDuck) reflected on developer advocacy through video, workshops, and branding, showing how creative communication boosts adoption of open-source tools like DuckDB.

Igor Kvachenok Master’s student in Data Science at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, writing a thesis on LLM-enhanced data extraction for the polymer industry. Builds RDF knowledge graphs from semi-structured documents and works at ProKube on MLOps platforms powered by Kubeflow and Kubernetes.

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/igor-kvachenok/

Selim Nowicki Founder of Distill Labs, a startup making small-model fine-tuning simple and fast with knowledge distillation. Previously led data teams at Berlin startups like Delivery Hero, Trade Republic, and Tier Mobility. Sees parallels between today’s ML tooling and dbt’s impact on analytics.

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selim-nowicki/

Gülsah Durmaz Architect turned developer, creating Python-based tools for architectural design automation with Rhino and Grasshopper. Active in PyLadies and a volunteer at PyData Berlin, she values the community for networking and learning, and aims to bring ML into architecture workflows.

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gulsah-durmaz/

Yashasvi (Yashi) Misra Data Engineer at Pure Storage, community organizer with PyLadies India, PyCon India, and Women Techmakers. Advocates for inclusive spaces in tech and speaks on explainable AI, bridging her day-to-day in data engineering with her passion for ethical ML.

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/misrayashasvi/

Mehdi Ouazza Developer Advocate at MotherDuck, formerly a data engineer, now focused on building community and education around DuckDB. Runs popular YouTube channels ("mehdio DataTV" and "MotherDuck") and delivered a hands-on workshop at PyData Berlin. Blends technical clarity with creative storytelling.

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehd-io/

In this episode, we talk with Daniel, an astrophysicist turned machine learning engineer and AI ambassador. Daniel shares his journey bridging astronomy and data science, how he leveraged live courses and public knowledge sharing to grow his skills, and his experiences working on cutting-edge radio astronomy projects and AI deployments. He also discusses practical advice for beginners in data and astronomy, and insights on career growth through community and continuous learning.TIMECODES00:00 Lunar eclipse story and Daniel’s astronomy career04:12 Electromagnetic spectrum and MEERKAT data explained10:39 Data analysis and positional cross-correlation challenges15:25 Physics behind radio star detection and observation limits16:35 Radio astronomy’s advantage and machine learning potential20:37 Radio astronomy progress and Daniel’s ML journey26:00 Python tools and experience with ZoomCamps31:26 Intel internship and exploring LLMs41:04 Sharing progress and course projects with orchestration tools44:49 Setting up Airflow 3.0 and building data pipelines47:39 AI startups, training resources, and NVIDIA courses50:20 Student access to education, NVIDIA experience, and beginner astronomy programs57:59 Skills, projects, and career advice for beginners59:19 Starting with data science or engineering1:00:07 Course sponsorship, data tools, and learning resourcesConnect with Daniel Linkedin -   / egbodaniel   Connect with DataTalks.Club: Join the community - https://datatalks.club/slack.htmlSubscribe to our Google calendar to have all our events in your calendar - https://calendar.google.com/calendar/...Check other upcoming events - https://lu.ma/dtc-eventsGitHub: https://github.com/DataTalksClubLinkedIn -   / datatalks-club   Twitter -   / datatalksclub   Website - https://datatalks.club/

In this episode, we talk with Orell about his journey from electrical engineering to freelancing in data engineering. Exploring lessons from startup life, working with messy industrial data, the realities of freelancing, and how to stay up to date with new tools.

Topics covered: Why Orel left a PhD and a simulation‑focused start‑up after Covid hitWhat he learned trying (and failing) to commercialise medical‑imaging simulationsThe first freelance project and the long, quiet months that followedHow he now finds clients, keeps projects small and delivers value quicklyTypical work he does for industrial companies: parsing messy machine logs, building simple pipelines, adding structure laterFavorite everyday tools (Python, DuckDB, a bit of C++) and the habit of blocking time for learningAdvice for anyone thinking about freelancing: cash runway, networking, and focusing on problems rather than “perfect” tech choices A practical conversation for listeners who are curious about moving from research or permanent roles into freelance data engineering.

🕒 TIMECODES 0:00 Orel’s career and move to freelancing 9:04 Startup experience and data engineering lessons 16:05 Academia vs. startups and starting freelancing 25:33 Early freelancing challenges and networking 34:22 Freelance data engineering and messy industrial data 43:27 Staying practical, learning tools, and growth 50:33 Freelancing challenges and client acquisition 58:37 Tools, problem-solving, and manual work

🔗 CONNECT WITH ORELL Twitter - https://bsky.app/profile/orgarten.bsk... LinkedIn - / ogarten
Github - https://github.com/orgarten Website - https://orellgarten.com

🔗 CONNECT WITH DataTalksClub Join the community - https://datatalks.club/slack.html Subscribe to our Google calendar to have all our events in your calendar - https://calendar.google.com/calendar/... Check other upcoming events - https://lu.ma/dtc-events GitHub: https://github.com/DataTalksClub LinkedIn - / datatalks-club
Twitter - / datatalksclub
Website - https://datatalks.club/

🔗 CONNECT WITH ALEXEY Connect with Alexey Twitter - / al_grigor
Linkedin - / agrigorev

We talked about:

Tereza’s background Switching from an Individual Contributor to Lead Python Pizza and the pizza management metaphor Learning to figure things out on your own and how to receive feedback Tereza as a leadership coach Podcasts Tereza’s coaching framework (selling yourself vs bragging) The importance of retrospectives The importance of communication and active listening Convincing people you don’t have power over Building relationships and empathy Inclusive leadership

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tereza-iofciu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/terezaif Github: https://github.com/terezaif Website: https:// terezaiofciu.com

Free Data Engineering course: https://github.com/DataTalksClub/data-engineering-zoomcamp

Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html Our events: https://datatalks.club/events.html

We talked about:

Ivan’s background How Ivan became interested in investing Getting financial data to run simulations Open, High, Low, Close, Volume Risk management strategy Testing your trading strategies Sticking to your strategy Important metrics and remembering about trading fees Important features Deployment How DataTalks.Club courses helped Ivan Ivan’s site and course sign-up

Links:

Exploring Finance APIs: https://pythoninvest.com/long-read/exploring-finance-apis Python Invest Blog Articles: https://pythoninvest.com/blog

Free ML Engineering course: http://mlzoomcamp.com Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html Our events: https://datatalks.club/events.html

We talked about:

Atita’s background How NLP relates to search Atita’s experience with Lucidworks and OpenSource Connections Atita’s experience with Qdrant and vector databases Utilizing vector search Major changes to search Atita has noticed throughout her career RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) Building a chatbot out of transcripts with LLMs Ingesting the data and evaluating the results Keeping humans in the loop Application of vector databases for machine learning Collaborative filtering Atita’s resource recommendations

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atitaarora/
Twitter: https://x.com/atitaarora Github: https://github.com/atarora Human-in-the-Loop Machine Learning: https://www.manning.com/books/human-in-the-loop-machine-learning Relevant Search: https://www.manning.com/books/relevant-search Let's learn about Vectors: https://hub.superlinked.com/ Langchain: https://python.langchain.com/docs/get_started/introduction Qdrant blog: https://blog.qdrant.tech/ OpenSource Connections Blog: https://opensourceconnections.com/blog/

Free ML Engineering course: http://mlzoomcamp.com Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html Our events: https://datatalks.club/events.html

We talked about:

Aleksander's background Aleksander as a Causal Ambassador Using causality to make decisions Counterfactuals and and Judea Pearl Meta-learners vs classical ML models Average treatment effect Reducing causal bias, the super efficient estimator, and model uplifting Metrics for evaluating a causal model vs a traditional ML model Is the added complexity of a causal model worth implementing? Utilizing LLMs in causal models (text as outcome) Text as treatment and style extraction The viability of A/B tests in causal models Graphical structures and nonparametric identification Aleksander's resource recommendations

Links:

The Book of Why: https://amzn.to/3OZpvBk Causal Inference and Discovery in Python: https://amzn.to/46Pperr Book's GitHub repo: https://github.com/PacktPublishing/Causal-Inference-and-Discovery-in-Python The Battle of Giants: Causality vs NLP (PyData Berlin 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd1XtGZhnmw New Frontiers in Causal NLP (papers repo): https://bit.ly/3N0TFTL

Free MLOps course: https://github.com/DataTalksClub/mlops-zoomcamp Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html Our events: https://datatalks.club/events.html

We talked about;

Antonis' background The pros and cons of working for a startup Useful skills for working at a startup and the Lean way to work How Antonis joined the DataTalks.Club community Suggestions for students joining the MLOps course Antonis contributing to Evidently AI How Antonis started freelancing Getting your first clients on Upwork Pricing your work as a freelancer The process after getting approved by a client Wearing many hats as a freelancer and while working at a startup Other suggestions for getting clients as a freelancer Antonis' thoughts on the Data Engineering course Antonis' resource recommendations

Links:

Lean Startup by Eric Ries: https://theleanstartup.com/ Lean Analytics: https://leananalyticsbook.com/ Designing Machine Learning Systems by Chip Huyen: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/designing-machine-learning/9781098107956/ Kafka Streaming with python by Khris Jenkins tutorial video: https://youtu.be/jItIQ-UvFI4

Free MLOps course: https://github.com/DataTalksClub/mlops-zoomcamp Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html Our events: https://datatalks.club/events.html

We talked about:

Summary of “Getting a Data Engineering Job” webinar Python and engineering skills  Interview process Behavioral interviews Technical interviews Learning Python and SQL from scratch Is having non-coding experience a disadvantage? Analyst or engineer? Do you need certificates? Do I need a master’s degree? Fully remote data engineering jobs Should I include teaching on my resume? Object-oriented programming for data engineering Python vs Java/Scala SQL and Python technical interview questions GCP certificates Is commercial experience really necessary? From sales to engineering Solution engineers Wrapping up

Links:

Getting a Data Engineering Job (webinar): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvEWG-S1F_M The Flask Mega-Tutorial Part I - Hello, World! blog: https://blog.miguelgrinberg.com/post/the-flask-mega-tutorial-part-i-hello-world Mode SQL Tutorial: https://mode.com/sql-tutorial/

MLOps Zoomcamp: https://github.com/DataTalksClub/mlops-zoomcamp

Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html

Our events: https://datatalks.club/events.html

We talked about: 

Gloria’s background Working with MATLAB, R, C, Python, and SQL Working at ICE Job hunting after the bootcamp Data engineering vs Data science Using Docker Keeping track of job applications, employers and questions Challenges during the job search and transition Concerns over data privacy Challenges with salary negotiation The importance of career coaching and support Skills learned at Spiced Retrospective on Gloria’s transition to data and advice Top skills that helped Gloria get the job Thoughts on cloud platforms Thoughts on bootcamps and courses Spiced graduation project Standing out in a sea of applicants The cohorts at Spiced Conclusion

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloria-quiceno/ Github: https://github.com/gdq12

MLOps Zoomcamp: https://github.com/DataTalksClub/mlops-zoomcamp

Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html

Our events: https://datatalks.club/events.html

We talked about:

Jeff’s background Getting feedback to become a better teacher Going from engineering to teaching Jeff on becoming a curriculum writer Creating a curriculum that reinforces learning Jeff on starting his own data engineering bootcamp Shifting from teaching ML and data science to teaching data engineering Making sure that students get hired Screening bootcamp applicants Knowing when it’s time to apply for jobs The curriculum of JigsawLabs.io The market demand of Spark, Kafka, and Kubernetes (or lack thereof) Advice for data analysts that want to move into data engineering The market demand of ETL/ELT and DBT (or lack thereof) The importance of Python, SQL, and data modeling for data engineering roles Interview expectations How to get started in teaching The challenges of being a one-person company Teaching fundamentals vs the “shiny new stuff” JigsawLabs.io Finding Jeff online

Links: 

Jigsaw Labs: https://www.jigsawlabs.io/free Teaching my mom to code: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfWwfTXGjBM Getting a Data Engineering Job Webinar with Jeff Katz: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/getting-a-data-engineering-job-tickets-310270877547

MLOps Zoomcamp: https://github.com/DataTalksClub/mlops-zoomcamp

Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html

Our events: https://datatalks.club/events.html

We talked about: 

Jessica’s background Giving a talk at a tech conference about coffee Jessica’s transition into tech (How to get started) Going from learning to actually making money Landing your first job in tech Does your age matter when you’re trying to get a job? Challenges that Jessica faced in the beginning of her career Jessica’s role at PyLadies Fighting the Imposter Syndrome Generational differences in digital literacy and how to improve it Events organized by PyLadies Jessica’s beginnings at PyLadies (organizing events) Jessica’s experience with public speaking The impact of public speaking on your career Tips for public speaking Jessica’s work at Ecosia Discrimination in the tech industry (and in general) Finding Jessica online

Links:

Ecosia's website: https://www.ecosia.org/ Ecosia's blog: https://blog.ecosia.org/ecosia-financial-reports-tree-planting-receipts/ PyLadies Berlin: https://berlin.pyladies.com/ PyLadies' Meetup: https://meetup.com/PyLadies-Berlin Code Academy: https://www.codecademy.com/ Freecodecamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/ Coursera Machine Learning: https://www.coursera.org/learn/machine-learning ML Bookcamp code: https://github.com/alexeygrigorev/mlbookcamp-code/tree/master/course-zoomcamp Google Summer code: https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com/ Outreachy website: https://www.outreachy.org/ Alumni Interview: https://railsgirlssummerofcode.org/blog/2020-03-17-alumni-interview-jessica Python pizza: https://python.pizza/ Pycon: https://pycon.it/en Pycon 2022: https://2022.pycon.de/

Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html

Our events: https://datatalks.club/events.html

We talked about:

Tatiana’s background 12 career hacks and changing career Hack #1: Change your social circle Hack #2: Forget your fears and stereotypes Hack #3: Forget distractions Hack #4: Don’t overestimate others and don’t underestimate yourself Hack #5: Attention genius Hack #6: Make a team Hack #7: Less is more. Forget about perfectionism Hack #8: Initial creation Hack #9: Find mentors Hack #10: Say “no” Hack #11: Look for failures Hack #12: Take care of yourself Kaggle vs internships and pet projects Resources for learning machine learning Starting with Kaggle Improving focus Astroinformatics How background in Physics is helpful for transitioning Leaving academia Preparing for interviews

Links:

Mock interviews: https://www.pramp.com/ Learning ML: https://www.coursera.org/learn/machine-learning and https://www.coursera.org/specializations/deep-learning Python: https://www.coursera.org/learn/machine-learning-with-python  SQL: https://www.sqlhabit.com/  Practice: https://www.kaggle.com/ MIT 6.006: https://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.006/fall11/notes.shtml Coding: https://leetcode.com/ System design: https://www.educative.io/courses/grokking-the-system-design-interview Ukrainian telegram groups for interview preparation: https://t.me/FaangInterviewChannel,  https://t.me/FaangTechInterview, https://t.me/FloodInterview

Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html

We talked about:

Knesia’s background Data analytics vs data science Skills needed for data analytics and data science Benefits of getting a masters degree Useful online courses How project management background can be helpful for the career transition Which skills do PMs need to become data analysts? Going from working with spreadsheets to working with python Kaggle Productionizing machine learning models Getting experience while studying Looking for a job Gap between theory and practice Learning plan for transitioning Last tips and getting involved in projects

Links:

Notes prepared by Ksenia with all the info: https://www.notion.so/ksenialeg/DataTalks-Club-7597e55f476040a5921db58d48cf718f

Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html

Did you know that there are 3 types different types of data scientists? A for analyst, B for builder, and C for consultant - we discuss the key differences between each one and some learning strategies you can use to become A, B, or C.

We talked about:

Inspirations for memes  Danny's background and career journey The ABCs of data science - the story behind the idea Data scientist type A - Analyst  Skills, responsibilities, and background for type A Transitioning from data analytics to type A data scientist (that's the path Danny took) How can we become more curious? Data scientist B - Builder  Responsibilities and background for type B Transitioning from type A to type B Most important skills for type B Why you have to learn more about cloud  Data scientist type C - consultant Skills, responsibilities, and background for type C Growing into the C type Ideal data science team Important business metrics Getting a job - easier as type A or type B? Looking for a job without experience Two approaches for job search: "apply everywhere" and "apply nowhere" Are bootcamps useful? Learning path to becoming a data scientist Danny's data apprenticeship program and "Serious SQL" course  Why SQL is the most important skill R vs Python Importance of Masters and PhD

Links:

Danny's profile on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/datawithdanny Danny's course: https://datawithdanny.com/ Trailer: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/datawithdanny_datascientist-data-activity-6767988552811847680-GzUK/ Technical debt paper: https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper/2015/hash/86df7dcfd896fcaf2674f757a2463eba-Abstract.html

Join DataTalks.Club: https://datatalks.club/slack.html