This week I learned that visualization in biology isn’t about aesthetics but about answering the question. Using R to turn messy data into clear insight helped me understand the biology better, and the key lesson was: design figures to think, not just to show.

For the second week at HackBio’s Data Visualization with R, I explored R basics—from syntax and data types to loops and custom functions. I built functions to calculate GC content in DNA and protein molecular weight, strengthening my foundation in R.

Dashboards support decision-making, not just good-looking visuals. They help researchers understand patterns, test ideas, and make better research choices. In modern biology, plots should not be “final slides”—they should be tools for discovery.