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Skills needed to pursue a career in Biotechnology
RAIAN ABEDIN
Biotechnology focuses on making use of research to develop new techniques to improve biological systems and fight diseases. If there’s a chance you might consider a career in this field, there will be certain skills you may want to pick up along the way.
Scientific and laboratory skills
Having a degree in fields like Biotechnology or Genetic Engineering usually means you’ll be spending most of your time working in laboratories carrying out wet lab experiments, DNA sequencing, analysis, or drug design and use. Additionally, writing and reading papers are also significantly important.
﻿Dr. Mohammed Kabir Uddin, Assistant Professor at NSU’s Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, shares, “Molecular biology techniques, genetic engineering, bioprocessing and fermentation, along with expertise in biostatistics are all essential skills if you want to focus on Biotechnology. When it comes to working in labs, students should learn to think and communicate scientifically. Effective communication and collaboration are sometimes all you need to create a strong learning environment, and labs are great places to grow and learn new things.”
Tahsinul Islam Aurko, a 23-year-old final-year student at NSU and an undergraduate research trainee at ICCDDR,B, says, “Theoretical knowledge is crucial at all steps. You also need to prepare yourself by reading papers, understanding the methods, and finally the discussions. In many cases, you need to be your own teacher, asking questions every step of the way.”
Many who study biotechnology pursue a life in academia. Yet for many others, they find their calling in the workplace. Regardless of the path they choose, biotechnologists can expect to spend long hours carrying out experiments and scientifically analysing problems.
Technical and programming skills
Biology, combined with the heavy use of certain programming languages, is rapidly becoming popular in the ever-evolving technological landscape. As such, languages such as Python and R play a crucial role in Life Sciences.
Nayara Noor, a 23-year-old Microbiology graduate from BRAC University, shares her thoughts, “Knowing about statistics and statistical methods is really important when studying biology, especially R and SPSS since those come into play a lot later down the line.”
Aanushka Tupur, a 21-year-old final-year student of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology at AUW, says, “Throughout my years, I’ve gotten to learn that while so much of Biotechnology is based on wet lab work, there are still loads in biotechnology that require some core functionality knowledge of computer science and bioinformatics.”
Communication and teamwork
No matter where you are in Life Sciences, effective communication is key. Laboratories always work in groups, with the work being divided among scientists of different fields of interest.
Dr. Mohammed Kabir Uddin shares, “Laboratory research often involves teamwork and cooperation. My target is to always ensure effective communication between peers and then also in peer-to-mentor discussions. For research to see growth and success, this is obviously very important.”
Business administration
Seemingly unrelated, yet very much a part of the ecosystem of Biotechnology, are all the skills we associate with business administration. According to an article by Susan Froshauer, start-ups in Biotechnology might just be the next big thing. And the best way to prepare oneself as an entrepreneur is to be an intellectually honest and ambitious person with a side of networking to ensure proper growth of the business.
Froshauer adds that starting a career in Biotechnological entrepreneurship need not mean the end of research work. Many contemporary start-ups value and make room for research, as this multidisciplinary approach is essential to develop and analyse drugs. Ultimately, much of what we learn retains a level of crossover between one field and another.
Reference:
Froshauer, S. (2017). Careers at biotech start-ups and in entrepreneurship. CSH Perspectives.
Raian Abedin is a student at North South University.
Dr. Mohammed Kabir Uddin, Assistant Professor at NSU’s Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, shares his expertise, “Molecular biology techniques, genetic engineering, bioprocessing and fermentation.