Thursday, November 7, 2013

What Careers Exist In Biotechnology

By Armand Zeiders


If you are searching for a job in an industry booming with opportunity, consider taking the plunge into the world of biotechnology. Biotech firms and labs around the country are in great demand and constantly hiring. Biotechnology companies work closely with the medical and agriculture sciences, so if this is of interest to you, consider some of the following educational options.

You don't have to have a PhD in order to work in biotechnology. In fact, there are a variety of certificate programs available that will train you to accomplish some of the lower level tasks needed at agricultural firms and pharmaceutical companies, such as quality control. Often a certificate will give you the qualifications to become an assistant either in a public laboratory or a private lab setting.

With a more advanced degree, such as a two-year or associate's degree, you can accomplish more substantial lab tasks. Move up to a bachelor's degree and there are even more possibilities, including data analysis and clinical resource management. Both of these degrees will require that you take courses in biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology and genetics. So, if these are the types of science courses that sound appealing to you, this might be a good fit for your future career.

Many people who earn a bachelor's degree in biotechnology spend a year or two working in the industry and then opt to continue their education so that they can take on the more advanced tasks and research done by those with a PhD, which takes anywhere from seven to ten years of college and study.

However, you will then be able to truly take part in high-level research involving DNA sequencing, peptide synthesis and gene cloning. These studies not only help scientists better understand how our bodies work, but also how to combat diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, cancer and even the general problems associated with aging.

There are hundreds of colleges around the world and in the United States that offer biotechnology degrees or certificate programs. Some of the top American programs include private universities such as Stanford University, Purdue University and Harvard University, but there are many public colleges that offer biotech degrees. For example, the University of California at Irvine has an excellent biotech program, as does UC San Diego, but there are programs at public universities in every state.




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