Perhaps you would enjoy a job or career in bioanalytical chemistry, which is predominantly the specific analysis of proteins and DNA? Generally it involves working with bioassays, biosensors, DNA and protein sequencing, electrophoresis, as well as mass spectrometry. In order for you to fully understand bioanalytical chemistry, the breakdown of each follows:
Bioassays are scientific experiments that utilize living things in order to test the toxicity of specified chemicals.
Biosensors are a scientific device that will be used in the detection of an analyte, the binding element, which combines a certain biological component along with a physicochemical component as a detector.
DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. It is a nucleic acid, and it's work is to contain all the genetic instructions that will be used for the functioning and development of organisms that are known and live in our world. DNA is also found in some viruses. DNA's genetic information is basically a blueprint, code or recipe for cells, protein and RNA molecules that are slightly different than DNA molecules.
Protein sequencing is a method used to determine a protein's structure by determining the amino acid sequences and what conformation it takes. This allows the scientist to understanding the cellular processes and helps many drugs to be invented by understanding these processes. It uses mass spectrometry as well as the Edman degradation reaction.
Mass spectrometry refers to the determination of a specific elemental composition of molecules or other samples. It uses a very specific medical instrument to accomplish this. This instrument helps tremendously in order to study biological, chemical, or physical properties of a tremendous variety of different compounds.
Electrophoresis, most often referred to as gel electrophoresis, is basically a specific procedure used to separate molecules through a stationary material, in this case the gel, through a special electrical field. The electricity is used to divide DNA fragments by their size as they migrate throughout a gel matrix.
Thus you now have a bird's eye view of what the job is all about, and that should help you to decide if you would like to consider this type of career. Jobs or careers in bioanalytical can be very exciting and tremendously rewarding as new drugs are discovered to treat a plethora of human ailments.
Many bioanalytical jobs are advertised online; from disease research laboratories and Pharmaceutical Solutions research to drug manufacturers. Depending on your experience as well as how well you've done in your studies, you should pretty easily find such jobs.
Job requirements usually read similarly to the following:
You may have a Ph.D. along with minimal experience, an M.S. along with a minimum of 6 years of specifically relevant experience, or a B.S. along with a minimum of 8 years specifically relevant experience. Experience must be in either a related field of chemistry, or biochemistry or actual experience in biochemistry or chemistry. It is essential that you should have experience with various test method development as well as validation as per ICH guidelines. Your analytical techniques experience in the industry must include HPLC (IEC, SEC, and reverse phase HPLC) as well as Capillary Electrophoresis. The experience of direct application of those methods to specific proteins is preferred. In addition, you should also be experienced with mass spectrometry, fluorescence, as well as light scattering methods. Further you will need excellent written and verbal communication skills. Finally, our candidate must be capable to work efficiently and effectively in a multi-departmental environment involving a team approach.
As you can see from the above, for these types of jobs or careers, education is not only necessary but you also need experience to go with the your medical education. Which school you attended may also be a factor, as certain schools turn out better medical personnel than some. Your grade point average is a large factor unless you have a very strong amount of experience, as you can see from the ad above.
Taking the above job offer and requirements a bit further, many people who work in bioanalytical jobs or careers also find that they are responsible for maintenance of the instrument logbooks. In case of malfunctions you may also be responsible for equipment troubleshooting. Also, you will be instrumental in periodic calibration of the equipment as well as having to maintain any relevant records.
You will probably be held responsible for the receipt, shipment, storage, checking and disposal of samples. Because a laboratory is so reliant on the following, you may be responsible for the daily recording as well as the monitoring of pressure, humidity and temperature in the laboratory.
The pay scale for medical jobs and careers seems to be changing daily, however most senior scientists/bioanalytical chemists are capable of bringing in from $80,000 to $100,000 to start. The amount, as with all jobs and careers, will vary depending on your experience and your record shown as a chemist in the bioanalytical field.
With problems rearing almost daily such as the latest Swine Flu, the medical field is expanding daily, and along with its growth, is the demand for more and more medical personnel. The bioanalytical field merely follows all medical fields in both growth and demand.
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