Dear HN,<p>I am a 20-year-old university student majoring in computer science and minoring in mathematics with the intent of finding a way to build a career around data science and computational intelligence. Recently, I've started gravitating towards bioinformatics because it seems like the sort of work that appeals to me. I like working on hard problems whose ideal approach isn't well established and the idea of working with data related to the fabric of life itself seems like it motivate me to get out of bed every morning and look forward to what I do every day.<p>However, I have at best an American-high-school-level of understanding biology. I remember the basics: cell anatomy, the DNA transcription process, basic biochemical pathways, and basic human anatomy. How do I build upon my current knowledge of biology so that I can be a strong contender for a role as a data scientist at a biotech company or at a research lab in the next 5 or so years?<p>Specifically, I would like to find a job where I can use the latest and greatest in scientific computing techniques to help pathologists and microbiologists.<p>TL;DR: Got any good bioinformatics books that explain microbiology and pathology for programmers?