Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that applies biology and technology. It involves subjects like biochemistry, genetics, and engineering. Biotechnology careers can be found in developing medicines, diagnostics, agriculture, and more. The biotech sector employs over 25,000 scientists in India and aims to generate one million related jobs by 2010. One can pursue a biotechnology degree through 3-year BSc programs, 2-year postgraduate degrees, 5-year integrated courses, or PhD programs.

1. Biotechnology as a Career
Biotechnology is a relatively new domain which is a combination of biology and technology. This is a
research-oriented science including a fusion of biology and technology. This study includes a large
variety of subjects including Biochemistry, Genetics, Microbiology, Chemistry, Virology, Immunology
and Engineering. It is associated with other subjects such as Health and Medicine, Cropping System
and Crop Management, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Soil Science and Soil Conservation,
Ecology, Bio-statistics, Cell Biology, Seed Technology, Plant Physiology etc. Biotechnology features
the use of living cells and bacteria in the industrial process. Biotechnology can be applied in
developing various vaccines, medicines and diagnostics, improving energy production and
conservation and increasing productivity. There is a great scope for career in biotechnology in India
as well as abroad.
The nature of work of biotechnologists, being interdisciplinary, requires working together of people
from different fields such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology,
immunology, genetics, engineering, food science, agriculture etc. Some of the fields where
biotechnology studies are applicable are as follows.
The biotech sector alone employs over 25,000 scientists. Coupled with pharma this number has
quadrupled in the last three years with the growing importance of R&D. The goal is to generate one
million scientific and engineering jobs in the pharma-biotech sector by 2010.
You can get a biotechnology degree as one of the following.
Three-year BSc. in Biotechnology is offered in many Universities in India.
Two-year postgraduate course is also offered in many Universities in India
Five-year integrated courses are offered in IITs and many other Universities after 10+2 to get the
MTech degree.
PhD Programs.
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