The Life Sciences sector is home to many intelligent and accomplished career professionals.
Most of the time, people think you probably want to be a doctor when you’re in the Life Sciences. However, that’s not the only career path that’s open to you when joining this sector.
Here are eight impressive career paths that you can take in the Life Science sector:
Biotechnologist
A biotechnologist is someone who uses biological systems and processes them for industrial or practical applications.
They use their knowledge of biology to create a suitable solution for it. For example, biotechnologists help in the process of creating a new drug.
However, a biotechnologist isn’t only someone involved in the medical field. A biotechnologist’s skillset is applicable anywhere.
Their expertise is useful in agriculture, cosmetics, food production, and waste treatment industries. Given the broad sectors that biotechnologists can fall into, you have to be more specific when looking for a job.
Medical Scientist
According to Michelle Dipp, a Life Sciences expert, being a medical scientist is a popular career choice for those who want to be in this sector.
The ultimate goal of any medical scientist is to find ways to improve human health through research. Most of the time, they do this by researching human conditions and diseases.
Since they look into the viruses and diseases that afflict humankind, a breakthrough in the research done by a medical scientist usually results in better treatments, diagnosis, and preventative measures.
In the case of a pandemic, medical scientists are working hard in figuring out the behavior of the disease and how to treat, prevent, and diagnose it.
Microbiologist
Microbiologists are people whose focus is on microorganisms. This includes fungi, parasites, viruses, bacteria, and so on.
They aim to understand the behavior of these organisms in some fashion. From there, microbiologists use that information to figure out how it can be applicable in a particular niche. Think of how the study of penicillium came in handy in the production of antibiotics.
Much like a biotechnologist, a microbiologist doesn’t only mean your opportunities lie in the medical field. Microbiologists can also have a future career in agriculture and food security. Microbes are present in our food as well as the soil used to make that food. That’s why microbiologists play a significant role in agriculture.
They are also significant players in the fight against pollution and climate change.
Industrial Pharmacist
Industrial Pharmacists specialize in the creation of drugs and medications.
They discover and develop safe and much-improved remedies for specific issues. They can be involved right from the production to the distribution and marketing of the new drug.
Industrial pharmacists are involved in the whole process of drug development.
They can be a part of the research. They also make sure that the drug is useful, and they gauge the potential side effects that the drug may have. They also educate and spread the use of the drug in hospitals or to doctors.
Wildlife Biologist
If you want to stray away from the human medical field a bit, you can also have a career as a wildlife biologist.
A wildlife biologist studies wildlife as well as their ecosystems and how they interact with one another. They study both the physical characteristics of animals and their behaviors in their natural and captive state.
Their study also involves human and wildlife interactions. Hence, they can help in the conservation efforts of endangered animals.
They can also use their knowledge of the ecosystems to give better information on adequately using water and land for specific projects. They also manage local wildlife and coordinate with the rehabilitators in these areas.
Geoscientist
Geoscientists study the composition and the structure of the Earth as well as its processes. It helps them learn about the Earth’s past, present, and future.
Geoscientists can provide information regarding the Earth’s behavior. For example, you can find geoscientists working in the law and forensics industry. What they do is analyze soil samples and discover their origins and the like.
Geoscientists have to split their working hours being out in the field and inside the lab. They are responsible for the search and development of natural resources depending on the industry they’re working for.
Biomedical Engineer
A biomedical engineer requires expertise in two major fields: Engineering principles and medical science.
Biomedical engineers use their knowledge both to develop and design equipment that we employ in healthcare. It can be anything from a physical device to computer systems or even software.
Overall, a biomedical engineer’s focus is on improving human healthcare. This can be achieved through innovation and invention of the machine or system.
They are also responsible for overseeing medical equipment and provide consultation to hospitals or health institutions. They will also train medical professionals on how to operate the devices that they create.
Chemical Technician
Chemical technicians assist both chemists and chemical engineers in the research, development, and production of chemical products and processes.
A chemical technician can also become a chemist or chemical engineer. Either way, they spend a lot of time experimenting and monitoring production.
Aside from troubleshooting during the production process, the chemical technician is also responsible for compiling reports and analyses. Their work can lead to finding experimental, theoretical, and practical application of these chemical products and processes.
The eight career paths listed above are varying. Nonetheless, they all are part of the life sciences sector. This explains why there is a broad range of job opportunities that you can land on should you decide to work in the Life Sciences sector. If you are interested in pursuing a career in this sector, these careers should give you an idea of where your career path is headed.
