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It is safe to say that biotechnology has been instrumental to our lives in the past year more than ever. This ground breaking branch of biology that deals with the development of products by using living systems and organisms has helped deliver what could be the fastest developed vaccine in the history of humanity.
When the COVID-19 pandemic erupted nearly a year ago, society as we know it dissolved into panic and desperation. After all, it had been more than a century since the last global outbreak of this size, and for many of us, that experience was far removed from anything we had ever faced in our lives.
Fortunately, unlike a century ago, now we had the scientific knowledge and tools to get ahead of the infectious disease ravaging our health. In record time, biotechnologists helped identify what made this virus so deadly and contagious, developed diagnostic tests for it in a matter of weeks, and got going on developing a vaccine to combat it. It was medical progress as unprecedented as the pandemic that kickstarted it.
But biotechnology does not come in handy only in grim moments like these. In fact, its products are present all around us, even if you might not have noticed them before. We owe much of our comforts to the innovative nature of this life science. Click on this link for all of the information about it: https://www.bio.org/what-biotechnology
Another application of biotechnology is genetically modified crops. Although a lot of people consider this to be harmful, it is quite the opposite! GMO fruits and vegetables are bred to be more long-lasting, eliminating the need to throw them away after two days. It also produces resistance to pests and diseases and prevents them from being overly affected by stressful environmental conditions such as drastic weather changes.
Moreover, biotechnology is also responsible for developing practical everyday things like detergents, paper, textiles, and even biofuel. Its investment into renewable materials could help reduce greenhouse gases and lead to a more sustainable and green future.
Besides that, biotechnologists have been hard at work devising processes to alleviate the environmental damage already done to the planet. They are dedicated to cleaning up environmentally harmful events like oil spills or chemical leaks through something called bioremediation. Read more about this process here.
Considering all of its benefits and the tremendous impact on human lives, it is no wonder many STEM graduates decide to pursue a career in the life sciences. But with so many options to choose from, it can be challenging to decide on what is the right path for you. Stick with us as we give a brief overview of the best biotech careers right now!
Looking ahead
The first thing you need to ask yourself when deciding on a career in the life sciences is what interests you. You might not be thrilled by the prospect of cloning a sheep, but helping reverse climate change could be right up your alley!
The first one is a biomedical engineer, focused on providing solutions to the problems still facing modern medicine and biology. Even within this field, you have a subset focused on designing biomedical devices, equipment, and medical software. You could be a pioneer and invent things like prostheses, diagnostic machines, or even artificial organs!
If you are more attracted to the biological side of the story and tackling issues such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites, you should consider becoming a microbiologist. This job involves a lot of detailed research and time spent in a lab, diagnosing and treating infectious diseases. However, the payout is often revolutionary and could be the difference between life or death, as we have seen recently.
Another attractive option from the biotech careers is going for the title of a biochemist. Your time spent in this position consists of looking down your microscope at lipids, carbohydrates, DNA, proteins, and lipids, among other molecules. You are also responsible for investigating the effects of different nutrients, hormones, and drugs on cell development.
A biotech career that sounds very similar to the previous ones but is quite different is a medical scientist. Unlike microbiologists who focus on treating illnesses, medical scientists aim to prevent them from happening in the first place.
They also focus on the causes of said diseases, with the final result hopefully helps improving human health through new drug treatments. Furthermore, they assist with standardizing the proper doses and methods of drug administration, as well as the manufacturing and distribution process.
From then on, the job is taken over by biomanufacturing specialists who excel at checking if the drug treatments meet the rigorous requirements of quality and safety throughout their manufacturing. Considering the massive scale of the production, they often have to have in-depth knowledge of the industry’s standards and regulations both on a federal and state level.
Lastly, you could go for a more business approach to biotechnology with careers such as business development manager. These people usually work for commercial companies rather than the research institutes responsible for coming up with new inventions. They deliver comprehensive market analyses and information to surpass their competitors in the field by growing and expanding their business.
Additionally, a choice in the business world for biotech graduates could be a director of product strategy. The professionals in these roles most often focus on the R&D part of biotechnology and design commercialization strategies for new products. This frequently includes marketing, sales, logistics, as well as market development, and compliance with quality and regulatory standards.
Making the final choice
There certainly is a lot of information to take in before deciding on where your professional future lies. The good news is, whatever career you choose, you will not make a mistake. Biotech specialists are highly sought in every industry, and you will have no problem finding a job in no time! Just start looking, and everything will fall into place. We wish you lots of luck on your search!