Navtej Kohli Career Mission Blog

Navtej Kohli talks about careers in Biotechnology Research :

Researchers in agriculture, biology, genetics, and medicine are at the forefront of new biotechnology discoveries. These men and women are working to untangle the genetic codes that govern the biological processes of different forms of life so they can be understood and, when appropriate, altered.

Life science researchers may work in an academic environment, such as a university, or for a company or a government agency. They may focus their work on animals, bacteria, humans, plants, viruses, or any other life form in which they have a special interest. The discoveries made in government, university, or corporate laboratories are the first steps toward genetically engineered products or processes like new vaccines, drugs, or plant varieties.

source: www.biotech.iastate.edu

Navtej Kohli Career Mission blog wishes every student a bright future and wonderful career. Here is some informational stuff, compiled personally by Navtej Kohli.

Usually people relate careers opportunities in biotechnology to a scientist in a white coat, madly mixing chemicals in laboratory. Nonetheless, biotechnology has a huge scope when it comes to careers. Ranging from sales and marketing, to research and development, to manufacturing and quality control and assurance, biotechnology has a wide variety of career opportunities.

The biotechnology industry continues to flourish worldwide. Not only are the total number of biotechnology companies increasing, but employment in the biotechnology field continues to grow as well.

Some Industry Facts:

• Biotechnology is a $30 billion a year industry that has produced some 160 drugs and vaccines.
• There are more than 370 biotech drug products and vaccines currently in clinical trials targeting more than 200 diseases, including various cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, AIDS and arthritis.
• Biotechnology is responsible for hundreds of medical diagnostic tests that keep the blood supply safe from the AIDS virus and detect other conditions early enough to be successfully treated. Home pregnancy tests are also biotechnology diagnostic products.
• Genetic engineering is sweeping the world’s farms. Seven million farmers in 18 countries grew genetically engineered crops on 16.72 million acres last year.
• Consumers already are enjoying biotechnology foods such as papaya, soybeans and corn. Hundreds of biopesticides and other agricultural products also are being used to improve our food supply and to reduce our dependence on conventional chemical pesticides.
• Environmental biotechnology products make it possible to clean up hazardous waste more efficiently by harnessing pollution-eating microbes without the use of caustic chemicals.
• Industrial biotechnology applications have led to cleaner processes that produce less waste and use less energy and water in such industrial sectors as chemicals, pulp and paper, textiles, food, energy, and metals and minerals. For example, most laundry detergents produced in the United States contain biotechnology-based enzymes.
• DNA fingerprinting, a biotech process, has dramatically improved criminal investigation and forensic medicine, as well as afforded significant advances in anthropology and wildlife management.
• There are 1,473 biotechnology companies in the United States, of which 314 are publicly held.
• Market capitalization, the total value of publicly traded biotech companies (U.S.) at market prices, was $311 billion as of mid-March 2004.
• The biotechnology industry has mushroomed since 1992, with U.S. revenues increasing from $8 billion in 1992 to $39.2 billion in 2003.
• The U.S. biotechnology industry employed 198,300 people as of Dec. 31, 2003.
• Biotechnology is one of the most research-intensive industries in the world. The U.S. biotech industry spent $17.9 billion on research and development in 2003.
• The top eight biotech companies spent an average of $104,000 per employee on R&D in 2003.
• The biotech industry is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Source: Biotechnology Industry Organization

The technology behind the carbon nanotube was discovered by Sumio Iijima in 1991. Carbon nanotubes are the strongest known material in the universe. They have 100 times the strength of steel yet weigh only 1/6th as much. Therefore they are the perfect material for the aviation industry. Carbon nanotubes also conduct electricity and heat well.With nanotechnology, the real appeal is you can make components smaller, lighter, and even stronger than with conventional methods.

Medical industries also stand to benefit from nanotechnology. New drug delivery methods and pharmaceuticals are currently being discovered. The fusion between biology and technology is a real possibility. It is hoped that smart drugs can be created in the future to sense different conditions. This technology would be possible by interfacing nano-sized computers with biological systems.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has granted a $144.3 million, 5-year research initiative for nanotechnology cancer research - evidence for the potential of a career in this field.

Another recent development are the MEMS (microelectromechanical systems). These systems are the combination of tiny electrical and mechanical apparatus (ranging from micrometers to millimeters in size). MEMS may be used to build chemical and pressure sensors, micro-optics, and fluid pumps.

Here are a few more areas of great interest in the field of nanotechnology: DNA biochips for sensing specific DNA sequences, smart materials for sensing applications, molecules that interact with light, microfluidics - chips that test an array of chemical reactions, and living biosensors

The U.S. is not the only nation to get in on biotechnology. Europe and Japan are making giant leaps in nanotechnology as well. Therefore, with the large amounts of money and research being poured into nanotechnology, it is hoped that great strides can be made in this new and exciting area of technology.

Navtej Kohli

Navtej Kohli introduces you to the sphere of Biotechnology which is catching on in a big way.Read on to know more.

Biotechnology is the integration of engineering and technology to the life sciences; it is also referred to as bioengineering.

Biotechnology uses microorganisms or biological substances to perform specific processes or for manufacturing. Examples include the production of drugs, hormones, foods and converting waste products.

There are many sub-branches involved in the biotech industry. A few of the more common branches include; molecular biology, genetic engineering, and cell biology.

Molecular biology includes the study of the structure and activity of the macromolecules necessary for life. These consist of; protein, DNA and amino acids, among many other molecules.

Genetic engineering includes the study of creating recombinant DNA by cutting up DNA and splicing it back together.

Cell biology consists of the study of cellular components and how cells interact within our bodies.

As you can guess, the areas of biotechnology overlap. Biotech is an exciting, relatively new science with an abundance of opportunity for those with the proper background and training.