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Careers in
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is one of
the most exciting fields today. Essentially, it is the use of
living organisms, particularly micro-organisms, in industrial
processes. Biotechnology has been used for years in baking,
brewing and cheese making, but the industry has been revolutionized
in recent years by advances in genetics and
genetic engineering. Specially designed micro-organisms are
now used to produce a wide variety of drugs and other
chemicals, to refine ores and clear up oil slicks. Crops too
have been engineered to produce high yielding varieties. The
film Jurassic Park was a fictional story about genetic
engineering but scientists in biotechnology are actually
challenging nature in many ways.
Biotechnology is a young science, with limitless
possibilities. Since it is a new science, there is
possibility of fruitful research which may yield benefits to
the human race in times to come. Broadly speaking, it
combines two or three sciences and is concerned with three
fields: health and medicine, agriculture and animal husbandry
and industry.
Living things have genes which give them distinct
characteristics, some of them negative. Scientists can tinker
with the cells, from micro-organisms to human cells, to
remove the negative trait. Using techniques of biochemistry,
microbiology, genetics and chemical engineering,
biotechnologists can thus draw benefits from properties
inherent in nature.
For example, genes in tomatoes can be tampered with to
produce a species which does not rot fast. In other crops,
qualities of pest or disease resistance can be built in so
that the crop can better withstand attacks.
How to join:
A person wanting to join a course in
biotechnology must have a background of science, though
engineers are also preferred. Since the career involves
research, one must have an academic bent of mind. One has to
be hard working and willing to put in a lot of effort in
experiments. A researcher's patience and creativity is also
required since some experiments may not work or yield
results, while others may require new and innovative
procedures since biotechnology is a virgin science.
To join the field of biotechnology, you should have a
background of science, that is, biology, chemistry, physics
or agriculture. An engineering background would also do,
since several industries prefer biotechnologists with
knowledge of engineering. Some universities offer the B.Sc in
biotechnology which one can join after class 12. One can also
do the five-year integrated M.Tech course at the IIT after
class 12.
At the post graduate level, one can do M.Sc, M.Tech, M.Sc
(Agri)
biotechnology or M.Sc(Animal) biotechnology. About 19
universities offer these programmes and admit science
graduates through a combined biotechnology entrance exam
conducted by the JNU. Those who have done B.Sc in physical,
biological, agricultural, veterinary and fishery sciences,
pharmacy, engineering, technology or medicine can join.
There are other universities and institutes offering courses
in this field. Some of these institutes are:
National Institute of Immunology
National Dairy Research Institute
Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Indian Institute of Science
The programmes are promoted by the Department of
Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and
Technology.
Another option would be to go abroad. Biotechnology is at the
forefront of research in developed countries and a number of
institutes offer courses, providing manpower to research
laboratories and biotechnology companies which have
multiplied in recent times. Post doctoral study programmes
are available. The Ministry of Science and Technology awards
the Biotechnology Overseas Associateships for advanced
research in molecular biology, microbial genetics, gene
therapy, virology, tissue culture and so on.
Personality traits:
To be a Biotechnologist, you have to be a
good researcher and possess the ability to work with tissues
drawn from plants or other living things. You will also have
to keep in touch with the latest research being done all over
the world, so you must keep in touch with science journals.
Since it is a virgin area, a certain amount of creativity is
also required.
Also required is patience. Experiments may have to be
conducted over a number of days, which may or may not yield
the results expected by you. So, while you have the chance of
discovering something which is pathbreaking, you may also
have the chance in which several years of your research may
not yield anything and may go waste.
A word of warning may be in order here. A researcher in India
may get a fellowship of around Rs 3,000 per month while the
beginning salaries for other professions have gone up
considerably in the past few years. There is also the problem
that your efforts may not be appreciated by your seniors,
since scientific institutions in India have a hard seniority
structure. These may be future points of frustration and a
person must assess both before joining a career in research.
Going abroad may be an option, but it is good to remember
that not everybody is able to do so.
Prospects:
A Biotechnologist may work in government
institutes and organisations, such as DBT and the Rajiv
Gandhi Centre for Development of Education, Science and
Technology at Thiruvananthapuram. A number of agriculture,
dairy and horticulture institutes also exist which would
employ biotechnologists. There are also some drug companies
in biotechnology, like Dabur, Ranbaxy, Hindustan Lever, Dr
Reddy's Labs which have their R & D units and corporate
sector would be another area which have openings.
The starting salary in a research institute would be a
fellowship of around Rs 3,000 per month. A qualified
biotechnologist would find place in a private company at
around Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month. If one wants to make
more money, then one will have to look at options to go
abroad.
At present there is a shortage of trained people in this
field. The DBT is trying to promote the subject in schools
and colleges. A short-term training for biotechnologists who
wish to work in the industry is organised by Biotech
Consortium India Ltd.
It may be said that for a person with an academic bent of
mind, biotechnology offers a unique opportunity to work in a
virgin field. All other branches of science are saturated.
Biotechnology is an emerging field all over the world. It is
this science which will yield the wonder drugs of tomorrow as
also new varieties of plants and animals. Since scientists
can patent the fruits of their research, the possibility of
making a name and a large fortune is also not ruled out. The
area thus is very exciting and has tremendous possibilities.
The phenomenal growth of the biotechnology industry has also
led to a number of high-paying opportunities.
The Biotechnology Industry
The biotechnology industry is one of the fastest growing
industry of the decade. Valued at Rs 100 crore in 1989, it is
expected to be around Rs 3500 crore by the end of the
century. A number of companies have entered the field, some
with foreign collaborations, opening tremendous job
opportunities. The private sector has increased operations
and leapfrogged over the DBT. A biotechnologist need not
worry about growth of opportunities in the next few years.
There is the Vital Mallya Scientific Research Foundation, run
by the United Breweries group, which has tied up with a
French firm and the University of Leicester. The Spic Science
Foundation is into tissue culture and bio-pesticides and has
obtained refinance assistance from NABARD. Another company,
Advanced Biomedicals Ltd is into enzyme production. The drug
companies which have entered biotech are Cadilla, Wipro
Biomed, Lupin Laboratories and Ranbaxy. Gene banks are also
being set up and government organisations into it are the
National Facility for Plant Tissue Repository and the
National Bureau of Plant and Genetic Resources, New Delhi.
State governments of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are developing biotech
industry with DBT assistance. The country's first biotech
park is in Kerala.
Financial institutions like the IDBI and IFCI have got
together to form the Biotech Consortium India Ltd in 1990, to
facilitate technology transfer and financial assistance.
Institutional support will push up growth of the industry and
many more companies will enter the business. Tax benefits are
available for companies specialising in biotech, which is
boosting the industry.
With so much activity in biotech industry, students can look
forward to good job prospects. As research yields more
technologies, industry is likely to commercialise them at an
increasing pace. Multinational companies are expected to come
to India in a big way as the cost of hiring an Indian
scientist is much less than his Western counterpart.
With so many laboratories coming up both in the public and
private sector, companies will scout campuses to look for
talent. The Baroda based Sun Pharmaceuticals advertises
abroad for biochemists and biotechnicians.
Though the field is wide open, one may add that as in every
other field, it is the committed professional who will find
personal career growth. It is therefore important to be good
in one's field.
Do you have an aptitude for a career in biotechnology?
Answer these eight questions for an indication
Do you like doing experiments with tissues of living things?
Do you have the patience to work on something that may take
two or three days, or even longer, for an experiment? Would
you be composed if the expected results do not show up after
repeated experiments?
Do you like reading the latest scientific books and journals?
Do you feel comfortable being in a virgin field where you may
discover something and become rich and famous after some
years; or that your research for 10 years may not yield
anything fruitful?
Can you work with fellow scientists as a team?
Are you a good researcher: creative and inquisitive, with the
ability to look beyond a set of statistics to discover
something meaningful?
Are you an introvert?
Are you fascinated by the science of living things?
If you answred 'yes' to any six of the eight questions,
chances are that you will be happy in biotechnology research.
For a detailed analysis, see a counsellor.
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