Biotechnology a Hot Career Choice for the 21st Century

Expert predicts 400,000 people will be employed in biotech industry by 2011 Biotechnology has been called the cutting-edge industry of the new century. But you can see the potential of a career in biotechnology in something as simple, old and traditional as rice, one of the world's first foods. "The future of agriculture will be navigated using the rice genome map," says Stephen Goff, a geneticist at Syngenta Biotechnology. Goff was part of a team that in 2002 finished mapping the complete genetic structure, or genome, of rice — a breakthrough scientists say will lead to varieties of rice (and other cereal crops) that taste better, provide more nutrition and are easier to grow. In The Coming Biotech Age, Richard Oliver of Vanderbilt University estimates that already 100 million people have been directly helped by biotechnology, such as farmers who are able to grow more and ordinary people who have more to eat. Biotechnology will impact even more lives when innovations like edible vaccines and cancer-fighting tomatoes reach the market. For people who enjoy the challenge of working with the innovative and the new — and the satisfaction of tackling real-life problems like hunger, malnutrition and disease — it's a promising time to enter the field. One consulting firm specializing in biotechnology expects that by 2011 there will be 400,000 people employed by biotech companies and another 350,000 in related businesses (compared to 250,000 and 150,000 today). 1 That growth is reflected in regional biotech centers like the Boston area. "Right now, we're at 2,700 jobs and 60 companies in the region which reportedly generate around $320 million a year in revenues," said Kevin O'Sullivan, vice president for business development at the Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park, in an interview with bizsites.com. "We think by 2010, we're going to be at 10,000 jobs and that about 100 companies will be located here." 2 Most of these jobs are in the medical field. A February 2003 study by Bio Economic Research Associates said that of the 1,200 biotechnology companies in the United States, only about 10 percent specialize in plant or animal agriculture. 3 Including universities and government agencies, there are about 180 organizations engaged in agricultural biotech research and development. 4 Increasingly, states, cities — even countries — are competing to attract these high-skill, high-paying jobs. Currently there are nine biotech "hot spots" on the east and west coasts, with Boston, San Francisco and North Carolina's Research Triangle among the largest, but other areas are pushing to catch up. Michigan, for example, is investing $1 billion over 20 years to nurture a life sciences and biotechnology corridor from Detroit to Grand Rapids. 5 Moreover, it's an industry that's investing heavily for future growth. Biotech companies on average invest about 35 percent of their profits in developing new products like these, according to Oliver, more than double of any other industry. The five largest companies spent an average of $89,000 per employee in 2000 alone on research and development. 6 Bringing a new biotech plant variety to market can take between six and 12 years and can cost between $50 million and $300 million, according to Bio Economic Research Associates. 7 There are several career paths into this growing industry: Research and development: R&D generates and tests the ideas that become new biotechnologies. There are more jobs in this area than any other, according to Canada's Biotechnology Human Resource Council, 8 but many positions require an advanced degree. Clinical research: Scientists in clinical research get the ideas generated by R&D and take them into the field for "real world" tests and observation. Quality control: Because biotech foods directly affect human health, high standards are critical during their development. Quality control ensures products are developed and tested safely in accordance with law. Sales and marketing: There's a strong need for sales and marketing pros with a science backgrounds who can communicate effectively with researchers and customers alike. Regulatory: Regulatory affairs workers play a key role in getting products approved, by ensuring the company is in compliance with all government regulations for new products. While a large share of the research and development is being carried out by biotech companies like those that make up the Council for Biotechnology Information, 12 of the top 35 organizations that conduct biotech research are universities. 9 The following are several links to help you get started in this challenging, high-opportunity field. For more information click "here":[ http://www.whybiotech.com/index.asp?id=2983] please.

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