Are you considering a career in biotechnology? The word Biotechnology is derived from the word Biology and Technology. It is using the advancement of technology in biology to develop or manufacture a product, or solving a problem using microorganisms or biological substances like enzymes. Though this field has been developing for some time, the breakthrough come in 1997 British scientists from the Roslin Institute report cloning a sheep called Dolly using DNA from two adult sheep cells. Since then, the field of biotechnology has been advancing at a fast rate.
Some of the Career in Biotechnology one can pursue are listed below.
As the population of the world continues to rise, the demand for plants and foods have pushed the research for better yield of crops, better shelf life of food, better resistance of plants to diseases and pests through genetic engineering. This is done by inserting DNA from other organisms. Among those crops that have been successfully produced through genetically modified process are soya beans and corn.
Pharmacology is the scientific study of medicines and drugs for treating certain medical conditions. Biological products like insulin, antibiotics, growth hormones and interferon have been produced by using the DNA of bacteria and other organisms.
In food science, the use of biotechnology has resulted in the manufacturing of organic products such as milk products and beer.
In the area of medicine, biotechnology applications include better medical therapies and diagnostic tools. New breakthrough has resulted in better treatment of diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis and cancers patients. Another example is the use of radioactive tracers to determine the medical condition of a patient.
Subdivision of Biotechnology
Red biotechnology is the specialize field in medical processes.
Green biotechnology is the specialize field in agricultural processes.
White/Grey biotechnology is the specialize field in industrial processes.
Blue biotechnology is the specialize field in marine and aquatic.
Biotechnology field required people with scientific background. If you want to go into research type of jobs, a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, computer science and related degree will help one to get jobs in this field. Many who want to go deeper into research will have to pursure their studies up to PhD level.
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