Biochemistry : Job Prospects & Career Options

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Biochemistry being an interdisciplinary subject, graduates in this field enjoy a wide range of career opportunities. They can find work in many walks of life in industry, hospitals, agriculture, research and educational institutions. Biochemistry finds application in clinical and forensic science laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, agrochemical companies and in food /beverages industries.

Both private and public sector offer employment for biochemists. The Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the Environmental Protection Agency are some of the government agencies that employ biochemists. Industries that produce pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, foods, feeds, and consumer products employ biochemists in research as well as in areas outside the lab such as marketing, management, science information, technical writing and editing. Biotechnology companies employ biochemists in quality control, clinical research, manufacturing, and information systems with applications to the environment, energy, human health care, agriculture and animal health. Colleges and universities employ the majority of biochemists as teachers or researchers in schools of arts and sciences, medicine, engineering, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and agriculture.

Career areas in this field include:

Agriculture: A Biochemist engaged in this field develop and innovate new improved techniques for crop cultivation, pest control management and crop storage management. Contributions made in this field by biochemists has helped to better the output and quality of agricultural produce. Employers include seed companies, agricultural universities/colleges, chemical maufacturing companies, agricultural department etc.

Medicine: Biochemists working in medicine are sometimes called molecular biologists. Here Biochemists perform diagnostic tests and investigations for finding out causes of various diseases confronting mankind. Their major concern is to study the role of genetic transmission of diseases from one generation to another. They study bacteria, viruses, and other organisms to better understand the chemical basis of life. They also try to figure out the chemical changes that take place in the cells of the body parts which signal the onset of various diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, diabetes, mental disorders like epilepsy etc. Research related to identification and analysis of chemical processes like muscular contraction, reproduction, metabolism etc also relates to their job.

They provide a diagnostic service, carrying out tests on blood, urine and other body fluids, alongside researching the underlying causes of disease and the methods of treatment. Hospitals, public health laboratories and medical research institutes, as well as the pharmaceutical industry, employ biochemists.

Research: Biochemistry is a field of intense research. Biochemists are employed to carry out research in various fields like development of new crops, pest control methods, quality improvement, drug manufacturing, identifying cause of various diseases in living organisms etc. Employment opportunities exist in research labs in biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical companies, private industry, nonprofit research institutes, in forensic labs and in government laboratories. They can also work as researchers at colleges and universities in the areas of biochemistry.

Food and Nutrition: Biochemists in nutrition analyze food products to measure their vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals. Nutritional biochemists improve the health of both humans and animals. A nutritional biochemist that specializes in animals usually works in the agriculture industry developing new feed and conducting animal science research. A nutritional biochemist for humans tries to improve public health, either by reducing malnourishment or analyzing the nutritional components of certain diseases such as diabetes or obesity. In this field biochemists have researched and studied the effects of certain food stuffs, minerals, protiens, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins, when consumed in excess or in deficient quantities, on the human body. They also work on developing new crops or making crops that improve human health. There are also positions for nutritional biochemists in the Nutraceutical industry examining or developing foods that can provide medicinal benefits.

Drug Development: Drug companies employ biochemists to research the causes of disease and to develop drugs to combat these diseases. In this career field biochemists diagnoises diseases and develop new drug compounds, vaccines etc.

Education: There are opportunities as educators, as high school teachers, professors and curriculum developers. To become a professor you need to possess a doctorate degree in biochemistry. Curriculum developers work with publishing companies, online education providers and state boards of education to develop educational standards for high school or post-secondary students. The minimum education requirement for curriculum development is an undergraduate degree, though most employers will prefer to hire curriculum developers with some teaching or technical writing experience.

Writer: Science writer is also a career for biochemistry majors. Science writers work for publishing companies, writing textbooks, manuals and non-fiction works about science, usually on a freelance basis. They also work for newspapers, magazines and trade publications.

Military Careers: The military medical service corps also hires biochemists, with a minimum of a masters degree, to provide clinical services to soldiers and their families. In the military, a biochemist will work in research and development, blood banks, health services or in toxicological research.

Toxicology: Toxicologists examine the effect of chemicals on humans, animals and the environment. Toxicologists work in laboratories, for the government, private or non-profit firms, and their research is used in policy development, law enforcement and forensic investigation.

Administrative positions: The increasing reliance on biochemical technology in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology industries requires administrators, consultants and legislative aides who have a thorough understanding of modern biochemistry.

Self employment: Some biochemists are self-employed consultants who advise government or industry.