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Job prospect of molecular biology

Picture source: Wikimedia

Molecular biologists can work in a variety of settings, including academic institutions, hospitals, government agencies, and private companies. In academic institutions, molecular biologists may work as professors, researchers, or instructors. In these settings, they may conduct research, teach classes, and mentor students. Molecular biologists in academic institutions may also have the opportunity to collaborate with other researchers from different fields, such as chemistry, biology, and computer science, to tackle complex research problems.

In hospitals, molecular biologists may work as diagnostic laboratory technicians or research scientists. In these settings, they may use molecular techniques to diagnose and treat diseases. For example, they may use PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to amplify and analyze DNA samples, or they may use next-generation sequencing to identify genetic mutations that are associated with specific diseases.

NIH campus. Picture source: Wikimedia

In government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), molecular biologists may work as research scientists or regulators. In these settings, they may conduct research to better understand the molecular basis of diseases and develop new treatments. They may also be involved in the regulation of laboratory practices, such as the handling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or the use of hazardous chemicals.

Picture source: Wikimedia

In private companies, molecular biologists may work as research and development scientists or quality control technicians. In these settings, they may be involved in the development of new drugs or medical treatments. They may also be responsible for ensuring the quality and safety of the products produced by the company. Molecular biologists may also work in biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, where they may be involved in the development of new drugs or medical treatments.

Overall, molecular biologists have a wide range of career options available to them, and they can work in a variety of settings, including academic institutions, hospitals, government agencies, and private companies. Their expertise in molecular biology is valuable in many different fields, and they can contribute to important research and developments in the field of medicine and healthcare.

Let’s talk about science

Science is not a new term for most of us. We are familiar with what our high school teacher taught in our 7th-grade science class. Many of us still remember the F=ma equation or Newton’s laws of motion from our high school science or, in my case, the term prothallus. Loosely speaking, the science we were familiar with was about knowing new cool (and uncool) things.

The high school science book was rife with new information. In more pedantic terms, it was full of knowledge. Do you know the exact number of chromosomes an onion cell has? Thanks to the science book, you know the answer. How about mitosis? You know all the steps. Thanks to the science class you took.

How was science we learned in high school different than any other subject? Strangely enough, social studies, history, economics, and grammar books also had a lot of information we had to learn. In fact, you could learn much practical knowledge that directly supports your everyday living. If science were all about knowing things and gaining knowledge, why is history the history and not science? How is understanding bacterial DNA replication different from learning about medieval city sewer systems? In both instances, you peruse textbooks for well-established information to gain knowledge and know something at the end.

The science we were taught in our high school was not science but a lot of information. Or in other words, the science we were taught was a lot of knowledge derived from science. You may ask, so science and knowledge are two different things?

Science is not knowledge, although science is based on some preexisting knowledge. Science is the process that gives birth to knowledge in the foundation of preexisting knowledge. This process of giving birth to knowledge is a very technical stepwise process. It must have the following steps.

1. You observe “something.”

2. You wonder about “something.”

3. You make the best guess to explain a phenomenon about “something.”

4. You test your guess by (a) experiment(s)

5. If your guess is accurate, you just gave birth to the knowledge of the phenomenon of “something.” If your guess is not correct, you repeat with your second best guess.

6. Have someone give feedback on your work

Let’s talk about each step with an example.

In a simple sense, the term observation means getting some idea about an object using our sensory abilities. You see and hear things; you can taste, touch and smell to get some sense of an object you are observing. So the scientific process begins when we begin to sense something through sight, touch, smell, sound, and taste.

For example, you saw a strange-looking insect on your way back from school. It has spots on its body, has some spikes, and gives you an impression of a caterpillar. In this example, you observed the insect with your eyes and used your preexisting knowledge of what insects would look like to guess that the insect in front of your eyes could be a caterpillar. At this point, your guess is the most accurate identification of this creature. However, it is very possible that the insect you just saw could be just a worm or any other random creature but not a caterpillar.

Next, you want to test if this creature is a caterpillar. You collect this caterpillar and put it in a mason jar, and create an environment for the caterpillar to thrive. If it is a caterpillar, you expect it to metamorphose into pupae and eventually a butterfly. This is what an experiment is. You are testing your guess whether it is right or wrong. In the scientific world, the best guess is often called a hypothesis. So you test your hypothesis with an experiment.

After your experiment, you have two conclusions: either your guess is right or wrong (or its validity depends on the experimental condition). If the insect metamorphoses into a butterfly: you can be certain that the insect you saw on your way back home is, in fact, a caterpillar. What if the insect did not metamorphose into a butterfly? If you reach out to preexisting knowledge to learn the characters of worm and caterpillar. Suppose you have provided all the conditions a caterpillar needs to metamorphose into a butterfly, and still, your insect is cylindrical-looking and wiggly. In that case, you can be certain that the insect is NOT a caterpillar. Could it be a worm, then? You do another set of experiments to verify if your guess is correct.

Science lies on the foundation of knowledge generated from our physical senses.

In conclusion, science is a process that generates knowledge about various things. It begins with mere observations and builds upon itself to create a complex set of knowledge.

Hope this write-up was helpful. Let me know your thoughts below in the comment box.

Hello there

Welcome to Bigyan Charcha, an online magazine focused on topics related to science, discoveries, climate change, the scientific process, logical reasoning, and thoughts on thinking. If any of these rings your bell, feel free to subscribe.

The name Bigyan Charcha (origin Sanskrit) translates to Science Discourse. Our primary goal is to communicate bite-size science nuggets to people with diverse backgrounds.

Who are we? We are a group of two individuals working in a US-based research institute for a living. This website is our side hustle through which we plan on contributing to the community.

Stay tuned. Interesting stuff are coming.