Overview
Biotechnologists use plants, animals, microbes, biochemistry and genetics to develop new products and improve existing ones.
Day-to-day tasks
Your day to day duties will depend on your specialism.
In environmental biotechnology, you could:
- clean polluted land or water
- create renewable sources of energy, like biodiesel
- make environmentally friendly materials like biodegradable plastics
In medical biotechnology you could:
- research and treat diseases like cancer
- develop therapies, vaccines and hormones to treat the cause of diseases
- produce medicines
Organisation
Leicestershire has the first UK Life Science Enterprise zone with many organisations looking to recruit young people in the local area: Charnwood Campus, Loughborough Science Park https://charnwoodcampus.com/who-we-are/
Workplace
You could work at a research facility, at a university or in a laboratory. You may need to wear protective clothing.
Working Hours
Hours vary depending on the organisation but typically you will work in shifts Monday-Friday.
Salary
£19,000-£55,000 per year depending on experience.
Qualifications
You’ll usually need a degree in a scientific subject.
You’ll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
- 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology for a degree
a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study