Do I absolutely need to get a degree in this area to participate in this kind of research? Nope, but you do need credible and convincing signals. (Google "sign

Do I absolutely need to get a degree in this area to participate in this kind of research? Nope, but you do need credible and convincing signals. (Google "signalling theory".) Do they need software development expertise? Yes, yes! Is it difficult to adjust my skillset from being just a software developer? How does division of labor usually work in groups like these? I imagine there are always some biology- and some software-oriented folks in one group. What could be my first step in that direction? I don't know; "difficult" is a relative term. I do know that if you're skilled, curious, and willing to learn, you can probably find some collaborators to work with. The catch is probably they need you to be committed and a net positive (i.e. don't drag them down), and they probably won't be able to pay you right off the bat (or ever).