Are you wondering what a Biotechnologist is and what they do? Then you have come to the right site. I intend on obtaining a degree in Biotechnology from Santa Fe Community College.

Biotechnologists work in a biotechnology lab. In the lab they use scientific research to develop a product. The main research being done is gene splicing and recombining DNA, therefore most biotechnologist are developing products to assist in these tasks.

A biotechnologist usually works in a laboratory with standard work hours. This career would be a good choice for those who want a routine schedule and plan on being family oriented. To find out more about what a biotechnologist does, visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook and Career InfoNet sites listed below.

There are numerous community colleges that offer a two year degree in Biotechnology. I have provided links below to Santa Fe Community College’s and Austin Community College’s Biotechnology programs. Higher degrees in Biotechnology can also be received from some universities, such as the University of Florida. Fifty-nine percent of all Biological technicians have a Bachelor’s degree or higher level of education. Therefore, I recommend anyone pursuing a career in Biotechnology should at least obtain a Bachelor’s degree. Anyone with a lower level of education will have trouble finding employment opportunities. The education course load is heavily concentrated in science, particularly biology. If you do not like biology I suggest you find a different profession than Biotechnology. If you are still in high school I recommend you take as many science and math courses as you can. These courses will help you when you enter college. I also recommend high level of skill in the areas of communication, organization, teamwork, and analytical thinking.

The biotechnology profession is expected to grow about as fast as the average profession. By 2012, there is projected a nineteen percent increase in the number of job openings for biotechnology. The nineteen percent is equivalent to 1,740 job openings. In Florid, there is an estimated twenty-five percent increase in the employment of this profession. The twenty-five percent increase is equivalent to eighty job openings.

 An average a biotechnologist makes around $15.73 per hour. The average biotechnologist working in Florida will make below the average, making only $14.01 per hour. Those biotechnologists working for the government generally make $30,440 a year.

            There are numerous places that employ Biotechnologists. Many are research companies or research universities. Three mayor companies that employ Biotechnologists are Battelle Science and Technology International, Quintiles Transnational, and SOS Technical. The links to these three companies are provides below.

            After obtaining a position as a Biotechnologist it is useful to join a professional organization. Professional organizations are groups of people in the same or similar occupations. They generally keep up with the most recent news for a profession. They also provide services for job seekers and students. The professional organizations below provide numerous amounts of information for biotechnologists and similar areas of technicians. Visit the sites below to find out the last news and ground breaking technology in the field of biotechnology.

             For additional information on Biotechnology please visit the sites I have posted below.

A. Description

1. America’s Career InfoNet, Occupation Profile of Biology Technician, on the Internet at http://www.acinet.org/acinet/occ_rep.asp?from=&next=occ_rep&level=&Op1=yes&Op2=yes&Op3=yes&Op4=yes&Op5=yes&Op6=yes&Op7=yes&Op8=yes&id=1%2C%2C1&nodeid=2&showintro=no&soccode=194021&stfips=12&submit.x=36&submit.y=10 (visited May 25, 2005), last updated in 2005.

2. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-2005 Edition, Science Technicians, on the internet at http://bls.gov/oco/ocos115.htm (visited May 25, 2005), last updated February 27, 2004.

B. Professional Organizations

1. American Institute of Biological Sciences, on the Internet at http://www.aibs.org/core/index.html (visited May 25, 2005), last updated in 2005.

2. Biotechnology Industry Organization, on the Internet at http://biotech.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bio.org%2F (visited May 25, 2005), last updated in 2005.

C. Schools, Colleges, Universities

1. Santa Fe Community College, on the Internet at http://inst.sfcc.edu/%7Ebtn/index.htm (visited May 25, 2005).

2. Austin Community College, on the Internet at http://www3.austincc.edu/catalog/fy2006/degbitc01.rtf (visited May 25, 2005), last updated May 24, 2005.

D. Employers

1. Battelle Science and Technology International on the Internet at http://www.battelle.org/ (visited May 25, 2005), last updated in 2005.

2. Quintiles Transnational on the Internet at http://www.quintiles.com/default.htm (visited May 25, 2005), last updated in 2005.

3. SOS Technical on the Internet at http://www.sostechnical.com/ (visited May 25, 2005), last updated in 2005).

E. Non –Web Sources

1. Fumento, Michael. BIO Evolution: how biotechnology is changing our world. San Francisco: Encounter Books, 2003. ISBN: TP248.215 .F86 2003.

2. Slater, Adrian, Scott, Nigel and Fowler, Mark. Plant biotechnology: the genetic manipulation of plants. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN: TP248.27.P55 S59 2003 

3. Nestle, Marion. Safe Foods: bacteria, biotechnology and bioterrism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003. ISBN: RA601 .N465 2003