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Biotechnologists study plants, animals, microbes, biochemistry and genetics to develop new products and improve existing ones.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
As a biotechnologist, your day to day duties will depend on your specialism.
In environmental biotechnology, you could:
In industrial biotechnology, you could:
In medical biotechnology and biotherapeutics, you could:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work at a research facility, at a university or in a laboratory.
You can get into this job through:
You can do a degree qualification in a relevant scientific subject, like:
As well as a degree, some employers may want you to have a postgraduate qualification, especially for research posts.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to get into this job by doing an apprenticeship, such as:
These apprenticeships take between 3 and 5 years to complete.
You'll usually need:
You could start as a lab technician and work your way up by training on the job. For example, on a part-time degree or a degree apprenticeship.
You can join an organisation like the Science Council, which can help you:get professional recognition; find training opportunities; make industry contacts
You can find out more about working in biotechnology from the Science Council.
With experience, you could move into areas like:project or departmental management; science communications; quality assurance; bioinformatics and data analysis; freelance consultancy or scientific advisory work; biotechnology policy and ethics