Saturday, June 13, 2009

Biotechonology career

Biotechnology, as the name suggest, is a combination of biology and technology that includes an array of subjects including mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, biochemistry, immunology, genetics, agriculture etc. In this field, bacteria or other biological substances such as enzymes and other living cells are used and a blend of various technologies are applied together on them for production of a specific product or for improving upon it. Career in Biotechnology is one of the most promising career options in India and abroad. With the upcoming new technologies, biotechnology covers job sin healthcare, medicine and R&D. Since, it can be applied in various fields ranging from, agriculture to medicine, nutrition, environmental conservation, animal sciences etc, its scope is quite wide.

Since it is a scientific research oriented field, it requires the right mix of understanding of technology as well as managerial know-how. There are tremendous job opportunities in this field not just in India but also abroad. In fact, in the past decade, prospects in biotechnology have increased manifold. There has been a remarkable growth in this sector. Equipped with good research laboratories, well developed industries, trained manpower, India has become a hot spot for biotechnology jobs. One can look forward to a high-paying job in pharmaceutical companies, agricultural and chemical industries. Mainly, jobs are in the areas of research, production and planning. There are enough job opportunities in various government as well as private universities, laboratories and research institutes as research scientists or assistants.

In various fields, biotechnology has different application: In medicine and healthcare jobs, biotechnology application is very important. The useful application of biotechnology application in this area has led to the development of new medicines, vaccines and diagnostics. Not just this, the innovative and remarkable work of biotechnologists has also led to the improvement and innovation of new methods of diagnosis, and new ways to treat an existent disease. Since it is ever evolving, there is a scope for lot of innovation and breaking new grounds in a R&D job in biotechnology.

Then comes industrial research and development, where both the public and the private sector companies offer good job opportunities to biotechnologists. In this field, research is conducted with an aim to increase productivity, improve production and conservation of energy, minimize waste produced by pollution and industrial activities. Apart from this, there are jobs to be taken up at places that carry out chemical processes, genetic engineering, textile development, cosmetic development etc.

In the field of agriculture and animal husbandry too, biotechnology plays an important role. Since Indian economy is primarily dependent on agriculture, there are always new ways sought to make improvements in this field. Biotechnologists have made path-breaking advancements in this area leading to improved yields and newer practices that are more time and cost efficient. The quality of seeds, insecticides and fertilizers has been improved tremendously, thanks to biotechnologists. Hence, there are good biotechnology jobs in this field. In the field of animal husbandry, biotechnology has led to an improvement in animal breeding. The output of dairy and meat products has improved largely because numerous kinds of genetically engineered and high yielding animal breeds have come up with the new researches in biotechnology.

Biotechnology application is relevant to environment too. With the increasing levels of environmental pollution, biotechnology has come to play a major role in developing measures to protect our environment. In the field of environment, the job of a biotechnologist includes checking industrial air pollution levels, treatment of industrial waste to recycling of sewage waste, etc.

Genetic engineering is a very popular field where biotechnologists are deployed. With the extensive study of genes, genetic engineering has become an off shoot of biotechnology. Here, the job includes conducting genetic experiments to rear hybrid or new species by transfer of genes from one species to another.

For a biotechnologist to get a healthcare, medicine or R&D job, it is important to display a certain personality traits. A zeal for hard work and high level of intelligence with a naturally scientific bent of mind is a must. Apart from these, determination, will to create new innovations, perseverance, imagination, ability to work for long hours, originality, team spirit are some important traits that a successful biotechnologist must display. There are various professional courses in biotechnology that one can pursue and pursue a successful career in this field.


No comments:

WordLinx - Get Paid To Click