Biotechnologist - How to become a Biotechnologist

Biotechnologist is a professinal scientist concerned with the use of living things, especially cells and bacteria in industrial process. With the ever increasing population of the earth, the demand for the food, medicines and other consumable is increasing at a fast rate whereas the resourses of the earth are depleting with every new day. Thus to keep pace with the demand within the limited resourses, there is a great need to improve the quality and quantity of the existing resourses so that they could be used up to optimum level to fill the gap between the demand and supply of the consumables biological resourses on the earth. For making this a reality a lot of research work is needed and Bio Technology is that research oriented science covering a wide variety of related subjects like Genetics, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Immunology, Virology besides Health and Medicine, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry etc. to name a few. 

Biotechnologist are the professionals which are largely responsible for the improvement of the animal breeding. The research work of last 20 years or so has enabled to improve the quality of seeds, insecticides and to larger extents of the fertilizers that we are using to enhance the much needed production of the agricultural products. Not only has this Environmental biotechnology helped in pollution control and waste management. There is a great scope in this field as the demand for biotechnologists is growing not only in the developing countries like India but also in the developed countries of Europe and America as well.

On the basis of their findings and analysis, Biotechnologists suggest potential applications of the results of their research and help to improve the methods and use of the technology in the various biological fields. Although it demands a lot of hard work and effort but at the same time, it offers enormous scope for the building of one’s career. But on the other hand this profession is such a profession which demands high perfection, hard work and high level of patience.

To discharge his duties with utmost efficiency a Bio-technologist should have good interpretation skills, be confident of accepting challenges and an ability to understand things as they come before him. They have to look into every minute details of the facts to conclude as precisely as possible. So to acquire these kinds of traits one can go for course specially designed for the professional who have decided to choose Biotechnology as a career.

Considering the importance of biotechnology it has become one of the hottest career options available to today’s Indian medical science graduates. It is an apt career for those who have a scientific bent of mind and a passion for improvement in the existing products. Young people with desire and capacity for hard work can get both money and satisfaction in this profession.

How to become a Biotechnologist?

To be a Biotechnologist one has to undergo one or more of the following Courses:

1. Undergraduate courses

• B.Tech.(Biotechnology)
• B.Sc. Biotechnology.

Eligibility

Educational Qualification

Candidates who wish to apply for above given Under Graduate degree courses should have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination, with physics, chemistry and mathematics with a minimum of 50% marks in the aggregate in the subjects concerned.

2. Post Graduate Courses

• M.Sc. Biotechnology.
• M.Sc. (Agriculture) Biotechnology.
• M.V.Sc. (Animal) Biotechnology.
• M.Tech. Biotechnology.
• M.Sc. / M.V.Sc. in Veterinary Biotechnology.
• M.Sc. (Marine) Biotechnology.
• Medical Biotechnology.
• M.Tech. in Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology.
• Five year integrated M.Tech courses in Biochemical engineering and Biotechnology.

3. More advanced courses such Ph.D. and Post-Doctoral Research in Biotechnology can also be pursued.

Eligibility

Educational Qualification

Graduates in all sciences / engineering / technology / medicine are eligible for the postgraduate (M.Sc.) course in biotechnology.

Process to join these courses

Step 1

Interested candidate has to apply for the entrance test conducted by the various Universities and independent institutions like IIT, etc. providing above given graduate and undergraduate course of varying duration (usually 3 to 4 years for the graduates, 2-3 years for the Post Graduate and 5 years of the integrated M.Sc. / M.Tech Programmes).

Step 2

Selection to the graduate courses (B.E / B.Tech) is based on merit i.e. the marks secured in the final exams of 10+2 and through entrance test.

Entrance to the IIT's is through JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) and for other institutions through their own separate entrance exams and other state level and national level exams. Apart from the IIT's, some other famous institutes also recognize JEE scores for selection.

Selection to the postgraduate courses (M.Sc. / M.Tech) in different universities is through an All India Combined Entrance exam conducted by JNU, New Delhi and to IIT's through GATE in Two year/ 4 semester M.Tech courses and through JEE in five year integrated M.Tech courses in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology.

Step 3

After completion of his studies one can find careers with pharmaceutical companies, chemical, agriculture and allied industries.

Biotechnologist Job Description and Career Prospects

As there is increasing popularity and explosive growth, there is plenty of opportunity available in Biotechnology field. You can be a Research Scientist, Teacher, Marketing Manager, Science Writer, Bioinformist, Quality Control Officer or Production in-charge in the Food, Chemical and Pharmaceutical industry. A graduate in Biotechnology can also get job in government sectors such as Universities and Colleges, Research institutes.

Biotechnologist Salary

Biotechnologist Salary depends largely upon their academic qualification, institute or university from which the degree is attained and the level of work experience they have achieved.

To start with the fresh Graduates from the prestigious institutes like IIT’s etc. can get anything between Rs.3,00,000 to Rs.4,00,000 as annual income in the corporate sector with rapid growth with a little of experience, like wise the B.Sc. graduates from other universities can get anywhere near Rs.2,50,000 to Rs.2,50,000 with a lot of increment in the future to come.