Who's a Biotechnologist?
Do you enjoy learning about biology and different living things – how they work and what they do? Are you curious about how science and technology have made everything so easy? If so, consider a career in biotechnology! As a Biotechnologist, you will essentially study biotechnology. Biotechnology commonly translates to a mixture of biology and technology.
Your role will be to produce useful products from living systems. You will be required to conduct experiments in government and private laboratories to modify or manipulate living organisms to develop new products in the fields of health, agriculture, cell biology, plant physiology, seed technology, etc.
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What will you do?
Where will you work?
How do you get there?
What skills would you need?
Time Management
Time management refers to the ability to plan and organise how much time you spend on specific activities. Good time management enables individuals to work smarter rather than harder, helping them prioritise tasks, set goals, and allocate time efficiently. It includes skills such as prioritisation, scheduling, and setting deadlines, allowing individuals to maximise productivity and reduce stress. This skill is especially valuable in fast-paced environments, where the ability to adapt and adjust priorities can significantly impact performance.
Technical Skills
Technical skills refer to the specific knowledge and abilities required to perform particular tasks, often related to technology, engineering, computer science, or specialized fields. These skills encompass a wide range of competencies, including proficiency in software applications, programming languages, data analysis tools, and technical writing. Mastering technical skills allows individuals to effectively utilise tools and technologies relevant to their job roles. Strong technical skills will enable professionals to troubleshoot issues, implement solutions, and contribute to innovation within their organisations. build this skill
Social Skills
Social skills are the abilities that enable effective communication and interaction with others. They encompass a range of interpersonal competencies, including active listening, empathy, non-verbal communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork. These skills help individuals navigate social situations, build relationships, and collaborate effectively in various settings. Having strong social skills is crucial for personal and professional success. They enhance teamwork, foster positive relationships, and improve communication, which can lead to better collaboration and productivity in the workplace. In many professions, especially those involving direct interaction with others—such as education, healthcare, and sales—strong social skills can significantly impact outcomes and overall effectiveness. build this skillHow do you make it to the top ranks?
Intern
You can work under a reputed biotechnologist by assisting them with research and day-to-day operations. Make the most of this opportunity to learn the ins and outs of their job, as it will help you understand what to prepare for.
Junior Research Assistant
This would be your entry-level position as a working professional. Most biotech companies prefer hiring someone who is familiar with hands-on lab techniques learnt through an internship during their studies. As a junior research assistant, you would perform routine laboratory support work, assist with research, and maintain a safe working environment.
Assistant Research Associate
Apart from performing complex tests and experiments, you will also be in charge of overseeing various laboratory operations. You’ll work closely with the principal investigator and guide other members of the research team.
Associate Scientist
As an Associate Scientist, you would lead junior research associates and be in charge of the department’s research and laboratory operations. You’d work with the lead researcher, but you will also be responsible for developing protocols, conducting in-depth research, and directing team members. You need at least 2-5 years of experience to take on this role.
Research Scientist
As a research scientist, you’d be responsible for formulating, planning and conducting experiments, preparing research proposals and funding applications, and supervising the junior staff. You will act as a bridge between junior researchers and highly experienced lead scientists.
Lead Scientist
As the lead scientist, you will be responsible for routinely managing large and multi-technique R&D projects. You will navigate the regulatory framework and provide technical leadership to meet the project’s objectives. You’d lead a team of junior and senior researchers, who will rely on you to make important decisions and resolve their challenges.
Principal Scientist
At this stage, your job responsibilities will depend on the job profile and company, but the primary responsibility remains the same: to coordinate the actions of all teams, train newer researchers, conduct performance reviews, and act as a knowledge source in the laboratory. Quick decision-making, analytical thinking, and commitment are must-haves for this position.
Chief Scientist
This is one of the highest positions in the Research and Development Sector! You’ll be a part of the policy and decision-making board of the company, you need to develop a budget, manage different departments within the company, and coordinate with various research members across departments. Other duties include supervising various research departments within the company and providing ongoing support to employees.
Pursuing your career locally VS abroad
Biotechnology offers an array of career opportunities in India. A postgraduate degree or MSc will further boost your employment opportunities and salary package. Some of the most popular and preferred roles you can explore are Biochemist, Quality Control Analyst, Senior Research Scientist, Biomedical Engineer, and Crime Lab Technician among others. If you have a master’s degree in BioSciences, you can work with both corporate and government sectors. You’d mostly be employed by drug (pharmaceutical) companies, chemical or bioprocessing industries, agriculture-related industries, and pollution control industries.
If you’re planning to pursue your education in India, a bachelor’s course in Biotechnology should cost you anywhere between INR 25,000 to INR 7,00,000 and a master’s course in Biotechnology should cost you anywhere between INR 40,000 to INR 2,40,000 per year.
A master’s degree in Biotechnology makes you eligible for most research jobs. Some organisations even consider students who have qualified for national level entrance exams like DBT BET, CSIR NET, GATE, ARS NET, ICMR JRF, etc. As a qualified biotechnologist, you can also opt to do a PhD, which makes you eligible for a corporate research job or as a professor in a university.
This is a field with a great demand abroad. If you are looking for opportunities after your master’s degree, you need to be well aware of the latest technologies and advancements in this fast-emerging field. International companies will check your proficiency across many disciplines of biotechnology. This makes it difficult for people who are trained in just one discipline. However, securing a job abroad is not an easy task. One way to go about it would be to study your master’s course abroad after a few years’ experience, and take up as many internships as possible during your course.
Germany and the USA are known to be the best countries to pursue your career in Biotechnology. The average salary for biotechnologists abroad is around USD 58,175 per annum. Some of the prominent organisations that hire postgraduates in Biotechnology are Baxter, Merck, Biocon, Bio-ceramics, Torrent Pharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cipla, Ranbaxy, Cadila Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, Invitrogen, IFGL, Abbott Laboratories, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer among others.
A bachelor’s course in Biotechnology should cost you anywhere between USD 4,000 USD to 45,000 per year. A master’s course in Biotechnology should cost you anywhere between USD 5,000 to 50,000 per year. If you want to know more about studying biotechnology abroad, click here.
How much would you get paid?
As a biotechnologist, your salary broadly depends on the area of your employment, the organisation you’re working with and your experience in the field. The annual pay scale ranges from INR 2.1 lakhs for an entry-level biotechnologist to INR 60 lakhs for an experienced chief scientist.
What are your career options?
Medical Biotechnologist
As a Medical Biotechnologist, you will apply biotechnology to the field of healthcare. You’d be at the heart of the healthcare industry, developing diagnostic kits, vaccines, biologics, drugs, or medical machinery. Your primary responsibility would be contributing to the advancement of the medical sector and biotechnology domains such as molecular biology, cell biology, recombinant technology, and immunotherapeutics.
Pharmaceutical Biotechnologist
Previously, a Pharmaceutical Biotechnologist’s job involved only discovering and developing small molecules (drugs), but the industry has evolved over time. As a Pharmaceutical Biotechnologist, you will develop new products, new methods and processes and improve the existing methods in the field.
Plant Biotechnologist
Plants provide many of the world’s raw materials and food. As a Plant Biotechnologist, you’ll contribute to bringing the best of agriculture to the general public. Low crop yield, crop quality deterioration, infestation, weeds, loss of soil fertility, abiotic stress, and biotic stress are some of the real-world issues you’ll encounter.
Food Biotechnologist
The increasing human population is proportional to the demand for food. As a food biotechnologist, you will work towards solving difficulties in food production, processing and preservation. Your primary responsibility would be to identify alternative food sources. You’ll also assist in the introduction of technology that aims to improve food production, processing, packaging and preservation.
Environmental Biotechnologist
As an environmental biotechnologist, you will help rebalance nature, ecology and human interests. For instance, the disposal of plastic has always been a problem. Oil spills and the accumulation of heavy metals in natural sources of water and soil are a few other crises. Your responsibility will be to address these issues by using biotechnology.
Bioinformatician
As a Bioinformatician, you will deal with the analysis of biological, genomic and molecular data. Your responsibilities would include managing and processing biological and health research with the help of other specialists in the field. Here, you can choose to specialise in a field of your choice with top job profiles in the field, such as Bio Analyst, Data Scientist, Informatics Developer, Bioinformatics Researcher and Pharmaco-genetic Engineer.
You’ve only scratched the surface.
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