Are you interested in Genetic Engineering career path? (Or) Just curious to know about the Genetic Engineering. Find Career Info provide you complete details that are required to start a career in Genetic Engineering.
If you want to become a Genetic Engineer, you first need to determine if this career path is a good fit for you…or not. If the following description sounds like you, then you’re probably well suited to opt Genetic Engineering career path.
To become a genetic engineer you must good at biology, theoretically as well as practically in your high school academics. Are you the person that have keen interest to make people healthy and fit? If the answer is ‘Yes’ then keep reading this article would be a great help.
Covered In This Article
What is Genetic Engineering?
Genetic Engineering is the type of engineering that deals with the genes of the living beings.
Living beings: You can consider humans, mammals, tree, plant, bacteria, wildlife, or any living creature on the earth.
What is Genes?
A Gene is a sequential combination of DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid), which is responsible for the heredity. That means parent genes can be transferred to the child and. And because of the genes, our bodies are able to build different types of proteins which is necessary for every living creature to survive.
Genetic Engineering gives us opportunities to modify the genes of an organism using modern biotechnology. That’s why Genetic Engineering also is known as Genetic Modification.
Genetic modification achieved by extracting the genes from the one organism and combine it to the other organism genome (genetic codes) to get the desired result or for the sake of study and research. The desired modified organism called GMO (Genetically Modified Organism).
So we can say that Genetic Engineering is the science and technology of modifying the genome of an organism by combining two different organism DNA genes.
Do you know? We, humans, are modifying the genetic codes of species (to build superior crops and plants) from way back to hundreds and thousands of years through selective breeding.
So now you would be thinking; if genes could be modified by non-engineers (farmers) then why should we need genetic engineering. The point is genetic engineering is fastened the modification process. Therefore we don’t have to wait for many years (like the traditional way of cross-breeding) to see the desired result.
Top ten Genetically Modified Foods
You might get wonder to see the names that you regularly eat, but they are genetically modified foods. GMO foods are sharing the food industries in some proportion with conventional and non-modified eatable items. So it could be possible you have been consuming genetically modified foods.
- Dairy Products
- Corn
- Soy
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Bananas
- Papayas
- Sugar
- Canola oil
- Yeast
Genetically modified foods are everywhere. And the market of GMO is increasing every single day.
Other than the above list, GMOs technology is used to develop | Non-Browning Apples | Pollution-Fighting Plants | Land Mine Detecting Plants | Golden rice (provides Vitamin A) | Cats that glow in the dark | Genetically Modified Trees (that can grow fast) | Colourful mice and examples go and on and on….
What you will learn in Genetic Engineering
In the academics, you are going to learn about these following interesting technology and methodology…
- How to cut the genes from the organism
- Identify the genes of different species using DNA barcoding
- Complete sequencing of the chloroplast genome
- RNA interference (RNAi) methods for plants and animals
- Disease molecular detection and diagnose the cause
- How plant metabolism works for human health
- Develop the new organism and test it
- How alien genes work with the natural genes
The above-mentioned details are the fundamental learning, which every genetic engineering student has to go through.
Education required to become a Genetic Engineer
Education 1 (Mandate): You must have completed your high school [Subject must have: Biology and Mathematics] to step forward in the Genetic Engineering Career Path.
Education 2 (Mandate): Bachelor’s Degree
You need bachelor’s degree to get an entry-level job in the genetic domain. The programs you can choose among these following disciplines…
- Genetic Engineering
- Biotechnology
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Bioinformatics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
Other than the above courses you can do your bachelors in mathematics, physics, or any biology-related field. But for you, Master’s degree is mandatory to become a genetic engineer and to land opportunities in the biotechnology industry.
Education 3 (Optional): Masters + PhD in Genetics Engineering or any related fields
The vast majority of Postgraduate students prefer biotechnology (and specialize in genetics technology) to continue genetic engineering career path
Genetic Engineering is an interdisciplinary field of Biotechnology. But as per the industry demand of Genetics Engineers, many universities make it a separate disciple.
During the master’s degree, you would specialize in human genetics, plant genetics and medical genetics engineering.
PhD in Genetics technology might be a good choice if you want to go in depth and want to become a genetic engineering research scientist. However genetic engineering is more shifted to the research, so going for the PhD degree would be worth for you.
If you want to do independent research about the genes, microorganism, DNA, etc. then PhD is mandated for you. And absolutely! Higher the education equals to higher the opportunities and higher the position in the genetic research industry.
Genetic Engineers Skills set
- Gene Cloning
- Molecular Markers
- Microscopy
- Cell biology and microbiology
- Molecular techniques
- Protein characterization
- Bioinformatics Analysis
- Medical Terminologies
- Teamwork
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Where does a Genetic Engineer work?
Most of the time a genetic engineer spend their time on laboratory seat. As a Genetic Engineer, you can work for these following organisation…
- Medical and Healthcare
- Pharmaceutical
- Agricultural
- Chemical industries
- Food care industries
- Universities
The above are the places, where the vast majority of Genetic Engineers are preferred to go. Other than this, you can be part of Research and Development department (Microorganism and DNA Research Center) under the government and private authorities.
They work in these organisation for advancing and improving the medicine, healthcare, agriculture and food chain system. They also help to develop new and better biotechnology instruments and methods.
Genetic Engineering Job Description
- Observe the changes in DNA structure of the modifying organism
- Before the experiment, make sure all the tools are working fine. Prepare kit components for testing.
- Maintain relevant laboratory supplies and equipment.
- Research every aspect of the genes before extracting and study all the consequences after injecting the genes into another biological living being.
- Use modern techniques to optimize the production of microorganisms.
- Plasmid construction and large scale plasmid DNA production.
- Analyse the data and maintain the progress report.
- Like every researcher, you also have to write the journals about the genetic modification.
Genetic Engineering career path Scope
The world population is growing every year, and consequently, consumption of food also increases. To feed the world hungry population, we need lots of food. Therefore farmers have two options to fulfil the demanded of foods.
[1] They can use chemicals and pesticide to grow the plants and crops
[2] Use GMO plants and crops
And I don’t like the first option; who would like to have food that contains harmful chemicals (except some businessman). Pesticide and herbicides affect the body immune system. So the answer is GMO to produce higher yield and better varieties of crops. Genetically modified plants and crops could be our potent weapon to feed the world hungry population, which is increasing in every single second.
In the health and care industry: Because of genetic engineering, we are able to develop effective medicine and microorganism; to diagnose and cures the untreated diseases that were only a dream a few years back.
However, we have not reached up to the level of excellent (so-called perfect) in genetic engineering, but genetic engineers and scientist are trying hard to achieve that stage. The Genetic Engineers are trying to develop effective and safe way; to diagnose and produce high-quality food for the growing population.
So if you also want to be part of that lifesaving community, then you are good to go for Genetic Engineering career path.
