Join the biotech revolution
Imagine a world where cancer can be cured, where every country has clean water, where a vaccine is available to all HIV/AIDS patients. Biotechnology students and researchers are working towards that future.
Biotechnology is tipped to be the growth technology of the 21st century. And by studying biotechnology, you can contribute to some of the biggest improvements to the quality of human life since the industrial revolution. In this article, we’ll give you some ideas on how you can become a scientific super-hero!
Biotech scientists are able to manipulate DNA molecules and their genetic codes to produce new products such as medicines, vaccines, genetically modified plants and animals.
It’s not really such a new science – the term was originally used to describe the process of fermentation, or of turning yeast into bread and beer. But recent advances in both technology and scientific understanding has allowed us develop ground-breaking ideas that can solve many of the world’s current problems.
The University of Queensland is located in Australia’s south-east Queensland biotech hub, which centres on Brisbane. Along with Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology, it offers a range of biotech undergraduate degrees and access to world-class research institutes.
Like many others, the UQ biotechnology program focuses on three fundamental global needs:
New medicine and vaccines: Insulin, used to treat diabetes, was one of the earliest results of biotechnology as we know it today. Today, many researchers are focusing on cures for diseases such as cancer, AIDS, heart diseases and hereditary disorders.
Feeding a growing human population: Scientists are working to create disease-resistant plants, increase the nutritional value of crops, and develop crops that can withstand severe climate changes.
Reducing our environmental impact: They are also developing crops that require less toxic herbicides, bacteria that can help us reduce waste, and using biomass to produce energy.
More biotech options in Australia
Flinders University in South Australia is one of the most well-regarded biotechnology degrees offered in Australia. The course has a strong business component, with excellent links to local biotech businesses. You can also add a year to your study and graduate with a double degree in Biotechnology with a Bachelor of Innovation and Enterprise, or Biotechnology with Laws and Legal Practice.
Medical breakthroughs in the US
The University of Cincinnati and its Genome Research Institute (GRI) is at the forefront of research into a cure for cancer. It recently joined forces with German pharmaceutical giant Evotec AG to take their initial discoveries further, using the same high-tech equipment that pharmaceutical companies have access to.
“Other centres aren’t as focused or equipped to move discoveries through the necessary pre-clinical and clinical phases”, says George Thomas, interim director of GRI and the genome science department at UC.
Leading the way in European biotech
At the University of Reading in England, students also gain important practical experience of the technological and engineering elements of biotechnology. Research and teaching is rated very highly, and students take a paid industrial work placement during their third year of studies. Many graduates go on to work with big pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Lonza Biologics.
The National Centre for Biotechnology Education is located on campus, and was the first school biotechnology centre in the world.
Giles Kerley, who graduated with a BSc Biotechnology, says that at Reading: “you have the use of excellent facilities, plus the chance to study almost any aspect of the subject. The industrial training year, which I spent at Advanced Technologies in Cambridge, allowed me to apply my knowledge.”
Careers in biotech
A degree in biotechnology allows you to work in further research, whether in the academic, government or commercial sectors, or a career in the production and processing of new vaccines, drugs and plants. You’ll find a range of areas of specialisation, such as medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, marine biodiversity, legal (including forensic science and patents), and energy sectors.
What would you use your biotech scientific skills to do? Tell us in the comments box how you would like to change the world – or your own life – with research or work in this sector.
To find out more about the opportunities in biotech study around the world, talk with one of our student counsellors or follow the links the in article to the StudyLink website.
I did B.Tech in Biotechnology from kurukshetra university (one of the reputed university in india )in 2007 and from last one year I am searching for job in the biotech sector in india but no one respond me . So I want to search biotech jobs in UK . can you please tell me from where i will search these jobs (production, R&D , Q.C executive ) in UK . please also tell me the companies who recruits biotech engineer in UK
Posted by: ASHISH KUMAR | August 28, 2008 at 04:07 PM
did B.Tech in Biotechnology from Anna university (one of the reputed university in india )in 2007 and from last one year I am searching for job in the biotech sector in india but no one respond me . So I want to search biotech jobs in UK . can you please tell me from where i will search these jobs (production, R&D , Q.C executive ) in UK . please also tell me the companies who recruits biotech engineer in UK
Posted by: milani | August 28, 2008 at 10:36 PM
I hope to get enter the Biotech.Biology is my bigest interested.
Posted by: Michael Nguyen | August 29, 2008 at 03:17 AM
i am a nepali, date of birth on 1980-07-10. i passed proficiency certificate level on science in 1999 from Tribhuvan University of Nepal. i want to study in bachelor degree level on about biotechnilogy. i don't know what the actual degree is about bio-tech in bachelor level. so can i apply for that study in Austrailia? what formalities should i complete? can Austrailian govt give me permission for visa? i am looking for the best, easiest,fastest way.
Posted by: amit adhikari | September 06, 2008 at 01:26 PM
i am from nepal, i passed i sc on 1999. my birth date is 1980-7-10. i want to study in bachelor degree level on bio-tech. So can i apply for study in austrailia? there is a gap between passed year and now? do this affect for study and visa ?
Posted by: amit adhikari | September 06, 2008 at 01:40 PM
I,m saeede from Iran .I have got bachelor degree of nutrition sience and diet therapy in 2004 from esfahan university and I,m intrested in biotechnology .I,m wondering if I can continue education in this major?
Posted by: saeede | September 17, 2008 at 06:38 AM
Hello,I am from Mauritius and I just finished my Higher School Certificate(HSC) from Cambridge.Actually,I am rather interested in Genetics but I noticed that this subject was only mentioned in this site.So,I wondered if you could please help me by telling me which qualifications I need in order to do Genetics at the University of Newcastle,UK.The subjects which I have studied at HSC are the following:Maths,Physics and Chemistry.Moreover I will be taking part in another Biology exam in June,still from Cambridge.Thank you for helping me..
Posted by: Agnieshka Agasing | January 10, 2009 at 12:07 AM