Biotecnika Times 23rd April 2019

April 16th, 2019.

Vol. 03

NO 75

Biotech Career

Special

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Headlines: - Biotech Salary Analysis How much & Where - Career Scope For Freshers in BT Industry - Survival Strategies For Biotech Freshers - Is a Ph.D. Degree Necessary?

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BIOTECH CAREER SPECIAL

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Food Inspector Career Scope, Jobs, Eligibility, Salary, Skills Required The Food Industry is a broad sector and certainly can offer a variety of careers Options for Life Science candidates. Food Industry is one such field in which opportunities are never going to decline neither it is now, nor in the future.

A CAREER IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY MEANS YOU CAN EITHER WORK AS FOOD SCIENTIST, FOOD TECHNOLOGIST, FOOD LAWYER OR A FOOD PRODUCTION MANAGER – THE LIST IS ENDLESS.

By Preety Suman

Out of all a Food Inspector Career tops the charts – both in terms of Job Availability & Future Scope.

A career in food inspection is where you can find that ideal endeavor of job advancement potential and sense of ensuring the safety of the community. If you are a graduate with Life sciences degree and seeking a job in public health / Food Industry, this article is a must read for you. But before taking this route veered to be a Food inspector, one must be aware of the accountabilities a Food Inspector holds.

What are the responsibilities of a Food inspector?

• A food inspector is responsible for certifying health codes in companies engaged in producing various consumables, falling under any category ranging from restaurants to food manufacturing plants.

• He ensures the food being produced by food manufacturers, distributors and processors undergo the licensed protocols of storage, handling, processing, and sanitation, so as its quality is not compromised.

• He monitors the quality and hygiene of ingredients and equipment being used along with a compilation of the place to quality guidelines where the products are being processed.

• He also ensures appropriate labeling descriptions on the consumables being marketed • He extends support in an escalation of business by making them comply with national or international health and safety standards.

• He holds a good knowledge of laws and legal terms related to safe handling of food items making it appropriate for consump-

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tion.

Besides carrying inspections, a food inspector hunts for possible sources of contamination if any and evaluates the reasons that may put the general public in any kind of risk.

Food inspectors may be responsible for keeping close vigilance on slaughterhouses and poultry farms by inspecting that animals being slaughtered are free from any deadly diseases or infections.

He may contribute to imparting education to violators for rectification.

Lastly, He documents the course of action and reports any violations if witnessed to the regulatory authorities.

Eligibility for becoming a Food Inspector – Eligibility requirements may vary by position and program, the underlying general requirements can be considered by an aspiring candidate.

– Bachelor’s degree/ BE or B.Tech in Chemistry / Biochemistry / Food Technology / Food Science / Edible Oil Technology / Microbiology / Industrial Microbiology / Dairy Technology / Agricultural or horticultural Sciences / Toxicology / Public Health / Life Science / Biotechnology / Medicine or Veterinary Sciences / Fisheries or Animal Sciences.

– PG Diploma of minimum one-year duration in Food Safety or Food Sci-

ence or Food Processing or Quality Skills you need to turn into a comAssurance from the Food Industry petent Food Inspector or Dietetic and Public Health or Nutrition or Dairy Science or Bakery TECHNICAL SKILLS: Science or Post Harvest Technology from a Govt.Recognized University/ • Strong in Instrument Handling Institute with a condition that must • Handle a variety of instruments based on the requirement have studied any one of the subjects mentioned in above point in their • Must have computer proficiency and be able to handle software Bachelor’s degree level. like MS for – A Masters Degree in Chemistry / • Word/Excel/PowerPoint compiling reports Biochemistry / Food Technology or Food Science / Edible Oil Technology • Must have the report writing ability / Microbiology / Dairy Technology / Agricultural Science / horticultural • Must be able to defend one’s report in case of legal proceedings Sciences / Industrial Microbiology / Toxicology / Life Science / Biotechnology or Food Safety & Quality As- SOFT SKILLS: surance.

• Strong communication skills – Doctorate Degree in any of the • Able to clearly and critically specify the analysis in an unbiaforesaid subjects ased manner with precision and with experimental support – GATE / CSIR NET / ICAR NET Qualifications are also desirable to • Have good decision-making skills, in order to take swift acget into the job of a Food Inspector tion post analysis. via direct recruitment by any of the • Be a good observer, orator and Govt Organizations. strong in literary skills • Systematic thinking – to choose Additionally: which technique to use for required analysis • The aspiring candidate must be in between 18 -25 years of age. • Aware of the latest analytical methodologies Although age criteria differ in • Critical Thinking – Using logvarious exams held.

• He/ she must be a permanent resident of India.

• Candidates having training in various Food Safety certification programs are generally preferred.

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ic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Judgment and Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one PHYSICAL FITNESS • Strong vision for detecting minor characteristic changes in food items during inspection • Able to focus on details and analyze in detail and depth • Have a strong stomach, experienced tasting skills (as there may be a wide variety of food source offered for tasting and testing.

• Be able to work standing/sitting for long hours • Be comfortable with traveling to various sites for work KNOWLEDGE BASE: • Thorough knowledge about food laws and principles • Knowledge about Legal Proceedings • Detailed knowledge of food safety and quality • Detailed knowledge of laboratory handling and rules • Aware of required sanitation, hygiene and pest control practices • Be strong in General knowledge and General Aptitude • Valid certification and have eligible course subject background

BIOTECH CAREER SPECIAL FSSAI Exam – FSSAI Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Exam Importance of FSSAI Exam For a Food Inspector Career It is a qualifying exam conducted by FSSAI for in-service candidates to sign the analytical report of food products of FSSAI notified Food testing laboratory for legal purposes. Writing this exam will provide an additional advantage to your dream career as a Food Inspector. FSSAI conducts this examination annually. It provides certification under two categories Junior Food Analyst and Food Analyst for freshers and experienced candidates having three years experience respectively. This is to emphasize that passing this examination doesn’t ensure any job guarantee but you certainly get the benefit of preference as a food analyst in any of the food testing labs.

This year FSSAI Exam will be tentatively conducted in 2nd or 3rd week of July 2019.

Besides providing this opportunity of becoming the owner of food analyst certificate FSSAI performs direct recruitment of many posts like Technical Officer, Central Food Safety Officer, Food Inspector which it advertises on its official website – also you can check out the details about FSSAI Jobs at Biotecnika.

Qualifying Entrance Exams For Becoming a Food Inspector at Govt

Level Now if you are assertive that you own all those qualities which may turn you into a proficient Food Inspector, it is the time to decide whether you want to offer your duties at a state level or national level.

Many government organizations such as USFDA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration abroad, and other state and country government agencies are involved in employing food inspectors. Some states even offer inspector trainee programs for candidates with a blend of education and work experience.

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+ HRA. • With Experience and the duration, you spend in the industry the average salary can go as high as Rs 2 Lakh pm at managerial positions in Govt organizations.

Food Inspector Career Scope

With intertwining of global food chain auditing process, increasing pressure to enhance food safety, more and more emphasis on food safety regulations by various national and international regulatory agencies, the streamlining of the inspections has emerged as one of the concerns among establishments involved in food processing. To strengthen it, the Some of the reputed Food Inspec- demand for food inspectors is vigortor / Food Safety Officer Exam ously growing in India.

Conducted by the Govt of India are listed below: Although presently the government sector is liable in employing the food • Food Corporation of India – FCI inspectors, both state and federal agen• Public Service Commission cies recruit food inspectors. However West Bengal one may explore opportunities with • Maharastra Public Service Com- private companies as well. Food inmission spectors employed engage in inspect• Punjab Public Service Commis- ing both the government-owned units sion as well as privately owned food processing establishments. To rationalize Food Inspector Salary the audits and ensuring compliance with food regulatory guidelines, the • The starting average Salary of requirement for food inspectors is risa Food Inspector Career rang- ing proportionally. es from Rs 35,000/- pm to Rs 40,000 pm.

The above article is an outcome of • If you qualify any of the Govt cumulative efforts put in by our ExExams conducted for Food In- perts at Biotecnika – Mrs. Rashmi spector Recruitment the starting Sanyal & Mrs. Nidhi Hukku. pay package is Rs 37,000/- pm

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BIOTECH CAREER SPECIAL

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Career Scope of Microbiologist – Salary, Eligibility, Skills Required “We cannot fathom the marvelous complexity of an organic being. Each living creature must be looked at as a microcosm–a little universe, formed of a host of self-propagating organisms, inconceivably minute and as numerous as the stars in heaven.”

MICROORGANISMS ALONG WITH THEIR ACTIVITIES ARE FUNDAMENTALLY IMPORTANT TO ALMOST ALL PROCESSES ON EARTH. MICRO-ORGANISMS ARE IN US, ON US AND AROUND US.

By Dr. Deepa Sharma

Because they affect every aspect of our lives- thus they matter. Microbiology comprises of the study of all living organisms that are too minute to be seen with the naked eye. This takes in archaea, bacteria, viruses, prions, fungi, protozoa, and algae, together known as ‘microbes’. These microbes play crucial roles in biodegradation/biodeterioration, nutrient cycling, climate change, spoilage of food, biotechnology and also the cause and control of the disease.

execute a vast range of medical laboratory tests on collected specimens from plants, animals, and humans to aid in the detection of disease. Those microbiologists (clinical and mediWho is a Microbiologist? cal) whose work takes in researching human health directly may be categoA microbiologist is someone who rized as medical scientists. works in the domain of microbiology.

He is a scientist who makes a thor- Environmental microbiologists: ough study of the microorganisms. They make a study of how the interMicrobiologists examine the char- action of microorganisms with the acteristics of microscopic organisms environment and with each other. such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. They also study the use of microbes The microbiologist tries to investi- to clean up the sites contaminated by gate and understand the behavior of heavy metals and further investigate miscellaneous microbes and their im- increasing crop growth with the aid of pact on human lives. Microbiologists microbes. might sometimes handle perilous organisms in the course of their re- Industrial microbiologists: Indussearch, thus making the work hazard- trial production processes are studied ous. Research in Bacteriology, Virol- by them and also problems related ogy, Mycology, and Parasitology are to these processes are being solved. some of the specialist fields for mi- Examination of microbial growth in crobiologists. Some of them also spe- the pipes of a chemical factory may cialize in agriculture, environment, be done. Further, they can also keep food and medical aspects. The mi- an eye on the impact of the industrial crobiologists develop many vitamins, waste on the local ecosystem, or even enzymes, and hormones. They further supervise the microbial activities inamplify new approaches to combat volved in cheese production to guarthe diseases. antee the quality.

Microbiologists are categorized into the following types: Bacteriologists: They study the pattern of growth, development, and other characteristics of bacteria, including the positive and negative effects that can be brought about by bacteria on plants, animals, and humans.

Clinical

microbiologists:

They

parasites to different environments is studied. The outburst and further control of parasitic diseases such as malaria may also be investigated.

ologists to have an extensive understanding of the sciences. Courses in math, statistics, and computer science are vital for microbiologists as they may need to perform complex data Public health microbiologists: Ex- analysis. Having laboratory experiamination of specimens is done to ence is crucial for prospective mipursue, regulate, and avert transmit- crobiologists before moving into the table diseases and other health perils. workforce.

Laboratory services are provided by them for local health units and com- Nearly all undergraduate microbimunity health programs. ology programs contain a mandatory laboratory requirement, however supVirologists: Structure, develop- plementary laboratory coursework is ment, and further properties of virus- recommended. Students can also aces are studied and, further any effects quire valuable laboratory experience that viruses have on infected organ- out of internships with potential emisms is also being researched. ployers, such as drug manufacturers.

Microbiologist – Career Require- Microbiology is a flourishing field ments: that should offer good outlooks for qualified workers. A number of the At least a bachelor’s degree in mi- applied research projects where microbiology or a closely related field crobiologists are involved in necesis required for would-be microbiolo- sitating the expertise of scientists in gy scientists. A concrete foundation various fields such as chemistry, medof the sciences is needed. Microbi- icine, and geology. Microbiologists ology majors pursue courses such as with a little familiarity with another virology, microbial chemistry, bio- branch of learning should have the chemistry, physiology, and physics. A finest opportunities. number of these courses comprise a laboratory component, which is cru- In order to carry out independent Mycologists: They study the char- cial for soon-to-be microbiologists. research and work in colleges and acteristics of fungi such as mold and Microbial genetics and microbial universities, microbiologists usually yeast. A study is made to find out physiology are the core courses taken need a Ph.D. Class work, laboratory ways of how fungi can be beneficial by most microbiology majors, while research, and completing a thesis or to the society (for instance, in the en- elective classes are such as environvironment or food) and also the risks mental microbiology and virology. that may be posed by fungi.

Students should also have a knowlParasitologists: Life cycle of para- edge of other sciences, such as physsites is studied. Further, the host-para- ics, chemistry, and biochemistry site relationship and the adaptation of because it is essential for microbiNext Page>>>>

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dissertation are included in a Ph.D. program. Many microbiology Ph.D. holders initiate their careers in provisional postdoctoral research ranks.

During the postdoctoral appointment, they work with knowledgeable scientists as they go on with learning about their specialties and create a broader understanding of related areas of research. Postdoctoral positions offer the opportunity to publish research findings.

Certifications and skills required For A Successful Career as Microbiologist Requisite degree levels vary on the basis of position. For many settings, a bachelor’s degree in microbiology is ample, while for advanced research work, a doctoral degree is obligatory.

Voluntary certification is obtainable through numerous organizations, including the American Medical Board of Microbiology and the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists.

Lab experience is required for aspiring microbiologists; postdoctoral research work may be required for advanced research positions. Basic skills include interpersonal, analytical, mathematical, speaking and writing expertise, and further being detail-oriented. Knowledge of query, medical, scientific, and spreadsheet software is fundamental to this position. A variety of specialized equipment such as gas chromatographs and electron microscopes must be appropriately used by a microbiologist.

If one thinks of a science-based career, pre-entry experience in a laboratory becomes advantageous. A few of the degree courses may include a year’s work assignment carrying out scientific research in a government research laboratory, in an industry or other pertinent organizations. Certain companies take care of funding to sustain research work in laboratories during the summer. In order to obtain information on these opportunities as well as other internships, it is advisable to contact various career services.

Further, contacts can be extended to local hospital laboratories to uncover work experiences or even work shadowing opportunities. Valuable networking opportunities can be provided if one has joined the membership of a relevant society or a professional body such as the Microbiology Society and the Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM). By being a member of such organizations, one can get access to grants and also discounted or free conference attendance.

BIOTECH CAREER SPECIAL Career Scope of Microbiologists

Employers that hire Microbiologists includes are mostly from the Employment of microbiologists is below fields: estimated to grow nearly 8 percent over the coming ten years, which • Higher education institutions. is as fast as the average for all pro- • Industry – water and biotechnolfessions. More microbiologists will ogy companies, food and drink, be required for contribution to basic toiletries, petroleum, pharmaresearch and for solving glitches of ceuticals. industrial production. There will be • Environmental organizations. a need for microbiologists to con- • Public health organizations. duct research and thus develop nov- • Healthcare organizations. el medicines and treatments, such • Forensic science laboratories. as antibiotics and vaccines. Besides, • Publicly funded research organpharmaceutical and biotechnology izations. companies will need microbiologists to develop drugs which are produced List of Top Companies that frewith the service of microorganisms. quently hire Microbiologists are given below: Alongside improving health, further areas of research and development • Novozymes are expected to cater to employment • Britannia progress for microbiologists. Micro- • Bisleri biologists will be needed by many • GSK companies, from chemical companies • Johnson & Johnson to food producers, to warrant product • Dr. Reddy’s quality and production effectiveness. • TUV SUD In an expedition to find more clean • Jubilant sources of energy, microbiologists • Sanofi will be involved, such as industri- • Sun Pharma al microbiologists and mycologists, • Lupin who research and develop alternate • Apollo energy sources such as biomass and • Emcure Pharmaceuticals biofuels. Further, microbiologists • Cipla will be needed in agriculture to help • Sami Labs in developing genetically engineered • Cafe Coffee Day crops that offer superior yields or • IFF involve less fertilizer and pesticide. • Suguna Foods Lastly, the use of microbiologists will • Apotex be made in endeavors to uncover up- • Mondelez to-the-minute and improved ways to safeguard public health and preserve List of Top Govt Institutes / Orthe environment. ganizations & Industries that hire Microbiologists are: Employment areas For Microbiologists: • FSSAI • National Health Mission Microbiologists mainly worked in • DRDO laboratory research settings in dec- • NCDC ades past. With the potential role of • IRCTC microbes in biotechnology as well • HPCL Biofuels as their new appreciation in environ- • Tea Board mental and human health, microbiol- • National Tuberculosis Institute ogists today work as intact members (NTI) of interdisciplinary squads in clinics, • KIIDC hospitals, industry, universities, and • CSIR – CSMCRI government. They are on the cutting • IPFT edge of science.

• ICMR – RMRC • PAU The significant employers of micro- • JALMA biologists are as follows: Salary of a Microbiologist • The state government, excluding education and hospitals—18% If you are looking for a job as a Mi• Universities, colleges, and pro- crobiologist in India, your average fessional schools; state, local starting salary as a fresher will be and private—14% around Rs 3 Lakh p.a. With Experi• Medicine manufacturing and ence and ample skills acquired you pharmaceutical—32% can climb up the career ladder and • Research and development in grab a pay package of up to Rs 10 life sciences—36% lakh p.a. If you are looking forward

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to a stable and long term career in the field of microbiology a Ph.D. degree in Microbiology or related subjects will just to the magic for you.

Top City That Hire Microbiologists – Location wise Bangalore tops the list with more number of companies & institutes that hire microbiologists. Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai & Chennai comes next on the list.

Microbiologists typically accomplish experiments and analyze the results while they work in laboratories, offices, and industrial settings.

Strict safety procedures must be followed by microbiologists who work with hazardous organisms, in order to avoid contamination.

Basic researchers who are involved in working with academia usually pick the focus of their research and run their own laboratories. Applied researchers who are involved in working for companies making a study of the products that the company will sell or further suggest amendments to the production process, so as the company can turn more efficient. Funding the research by basic researchers is often fulfilled by winning grants. These grants every so often put pressure on researchers to meet the deadlines and various other specifications. A competitive selection process is generally preferred for awarding the research grants.

Microbiologists of diverse specialties can work as research scientists, lecturers or professors at colleges or universities. By and large, research scientists only conduct research and lecturers only teach, while, professors usually do a mix of research and teaching. In science, the steps involved in “research” include writing down grant proposals in order to get funding for designing and carrying out experiments, for evaluating the data, and for publishing the findings in scientific journals. Professors do have the additional responsibilities of handling their labs and further mentoring others who work in their labs. Teaching at a university or college involves designing the classes, delivering lectures, leading labs, and mentoring the students. Professors, as well as lecturers, can teach hefty undergraduate courses, such as Biology, or small, graduate-level electives, such as Environmental Microbiology.

Typically clinical microbiologists

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operate in hospitals, as well as in medical, public health, or veterinary laboratories. They conduct various tests on animal or patient samples sent to the lab by veterinarians or doctors respectively. These tests assist in identifying the microbe that makes a patient/animal sick and can facilitate the doctor/veterinarian with treatment decisions by determining whether the microbe is sensitive or resistant towards common antimicrobial medications. Clinical microbiologists likewise work with public health executives to track outbreaks. When at higher career levels, microbiologists progress new diagnostic tests and procedures and may thereby manage an all-inclusive clinical laboratory.

to aid their companies in developing new products and further improving industrial processes or prevailing products. “Products” can be miscellaneous, such as anything from plant parts that are resistant to infections (such as agricultural biotech companies) to probiotic yogurt (in food companies). “Industrial processes” can take in microbes to extract minerals (in mining companies), to clean up pollutants (in sewage companies), and further to formulate medicines (in pharmaceutical companies). A number of microbiologists also work in quality control thereby making sure that products are safe and that they do not deteriorate due to microbiological activity over time.

Microbiologists can furthermore Microbiology, furthermore, overlaps work for industrial companies or in with other fields of biology such as commercial applications. A number molecular biology, genetics, and imof microbiologists conduct research munology. This projects that there are

several opportunities for a microbiology-related career in an extensive range of zones.

Finally, a few microbiologists also combine their technical expertise with various other fields. Hybrid careers comprise of, science writing, public policy, patent law, infectious disease medicine, education, and business analysis. However, most of these hybrid careers necessitate supplementa-

April 23th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 75

ry education or further experience in a field foreign to microbiology.

So to summarize in this article we talked about Microbiologist – Career Requirements, Career Scope of Microbiologist, Certifications, Eligibility, and skills required, Top Companies 7 Institutes that hire for Microbiologist Post, Average Salary of a microbiologist and much more.

SALARY OF A MICROBIOLOGIST Average Salary

Annual Pay Package

Average Salary As a Fresher Microbiologist

Rs 3 Lakh p.a

Average Salary With 5-6 Years of Experience as Microbiologist

Rs 10 Lakh p.a

Average Salary As a Senior Microbiologist / Research Scientist

Rs 20 Lakh p.a

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Food Technology Career, Job Prospects, Scope In India & Abroad If you are one of those people who are constantly curious and always on the lookout for news and information about the trends, hypes, and new discoveries in the food industry, then this article might be of interest to you.

FURTHERMORE, IF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IS OF ANY INTEREST TO YOU, THEN YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

By Pretty Suman

Recently, you might have noticed the significant rise in the field of Applied Biological Sciences. In fact, many individuals have become more interested in this field due to its dynamic and interesting nature and of course its direct implications to a human being’s life. And if you are observant enough, you’ll notice that the buzz about this topic has become more frequent – you get to read it on the news, on the Internet, and even in social media platforms. This alone is a sign that there is something good going on.

science, the main objective of food science ti to be able to understand the principles and the processes involved in food, from the manufacturing up until the distribution. Understanding these processes will allow the team to come up with steps, suggestions, and other processes that would improve the food quality for the consumers – the general public. Therefore, the next time you see a food item while doing your grocery, just put in mind that it has undergone scrutiny from a food scientist, food technologist, or food engineer or all of the above. This is to help ensure that what you are feeding your body is not toxic and poisonous.

• Food Engineering: This explains why building a fireplace and chimney can make cooking easier without having to fill the room with smoke.

A lot of people, especially those who are not familiar with this field, get confused with terminologies and the scopes covered in food science, food technology, and food engineering.

Truth be told, these three are overlapping; however, there are few subtle differences. We will not be explaining each in detail but allow us to illustrate the three the best we can, so you will have a picture. The following have been adopted form research gate.

If you take a look at it, the majority of the food items are biological in nature. However, the processes involved after, including harvesting, processing, distribution, storage, and preparation, are complex. It requires someone to have a broad-based knowledge and training in order to understand the entire process and to be able to solve problems.

Most of us would think of BiomedHopefully, the illustrations above ical Science when one talks about would make it a bit clearer. But for the Applied Biological Sciences. This is purpose of this article, let us all take normal because it is one of the most the three as one and use Food Science popular branches. However, tailing & Technology moving forward. it is the Food Science and Agriculture, which has also been gaining a The Need for Food Science & lot of attention recently. This branch Technology though is wide-ranging and interdisciplinary, and thus, requires a comOne fact cannot be denied: All forms prehensive discussion. This is what of life need food to survive. It is a bathis `article aims to do – provide you sic necessity, especially for human with an overview of the Food Science Food Science, Food Technology, beings, just like clothes, shelter, eduand Technology, where the world of and Food Engineering cation, and healthcare.

Sciences meets the world of food.

Food Science Defined First and foremost, let us discuss and try to explain what food science is. To give you a glimpse of what it is about, allow us to define it in a way that is easy to understand and uncomplicated. Food science is another area in applied sciences that involves the basics of biochemistry, chemical engineering, and physical sciences in order to be able to understand the biological, chemical, and physical nature of food. To make it even simpler to comprehend, food science (or some call it food science and technology) is the study involving the manufacturing, processing, treatment, preservation, and distribution of food.

Like every other field in applied

The person responsible for making our food safe and nutritious are called • Food Technology: Talks about food scientists. They are also the ones how one can use fire to cook responsible for coming up with infood novative packaging. In other words, • Food Science: Discuss the ef- food scientists are the ones doing the fects of burning wood. That is, dirty job so we can maximize our it can produce heat, water, and food resources and minimize waste of carbon dioxide. To add further, it resources. also explains how heat denatures the proteins in food.

Because of the advent of technology, and of course, the existence of food scientists, the evolution of the food system worldwide has been tremendous. These and so much more are thanks to food science and technology. In fact, because of this field of applied sciences, our processed food items have become healthier to consume and move conveniently too for everyone!

Demand for Food Science and Technology Professionals Although Food Science is relatively a new discipline, its popularity is growing as the day goes by. Two factors that contribute to this is the rapid urbanization and lifestyle changes that are happening across the globe.

Food Science is multidisciplinary in nature; it’s the same with Pharmacy, Biomedical Science, or even Translational Science.

We already know that Food Science is involved with chemistry (inorganic, organic, and physical), microbiology, biochemistry, chemical, nutrition, and process engineering. Thus, the holy grail of this branch of food science is understanding biochemistry and chemistry of each of the food components, including carbohydrate, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Therefore, it is just but understandable that only highly qualified

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and trained Food Scientists get into the industry.

One thing that might have contributed to this is the fact that the advancements in technology have an effect on our daily life, making us busier than we ever have. Thus, the demand too easy-to-prepare and ready-to-eat drinks and meals have also increased as well. These drink and meals should be high quality, partnered with safety and nutrition value.

As a result, there is once again a need for advancements and developments in technology worldwide. Thus, food science and food technology go hand in hand.

Requirements for a Career in the Food Industry So, now, that we have the overview of Food Science and Technology settled. It is now time that we tackle what it takes for someone to get into the Food Industry. What are the needed education and training?

Well, in a nutshell, you need to have a background in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB) combination and Mathematics in your 10+2. When talking about it in the bachelor’s degree level, one should get a three-year or four-year degree courses in the fields of Food Science or Food Technology, Food Science and Technology, or Food Science and Agriculture, depending on what’s available on the school you are choosing.

If none of these courses are available at where you are studying or plan to

study, then you can choose from these alternative courses: Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Chemical/Process Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nutrition, etc.

On the other hand, if you are looking to have a career in QC and QA or R&D, you need to have a higher degree, maybe a master’s degree or a Ph.D. Doing this will give you more advantage and an edge, especially when you decide to pursue a higher degree from a school abroad. On the other hand, if you are leaning toward a career in sales and marketing roles, such as product or brand management, then getting an MBA might help you achieve just that.

Lastly, if you are planning on a career as a Nutritionist or Dietician, there’s good news for you. You might not always need to get a higher degree after you achieve a bachelor’s degree. There are other options you can do, like getting certificates or PG Diploma courses that are in the fields of Nutrition or Dietetics.

The following are some of the top universities and colleges in India to study Food Science & Food technology: • Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) • National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) • Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) • National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI)

• Food and Drug Toxicology Research Centre (FDTRC) • National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) • Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) • Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) • Department of Food Science and Technology, Pondicherry University • International Life Sciences Institute – India (ILSI) • IISER – Pune

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For starters, a Food Technologist or sometimes called food scientist can earn an average between INR 20,000 and 25,000 per month in India. If you stay in the field for at least five years, you can earn between INR 500,000 and 740,000 annually. With more years of experience, at least 10 years of it at least, you can very much expect an annual salary of between INR 900,000 and 1,180,000.

If you are planning a career in the manufacturing industry, here’s the salary structure. It is approximately Best Food Tech Degree Colleges in equivalent to those who decide to be The USA involved in the R&D or QC/QA function. If you’re someone you are a trav• Cornell University el enthusiast, then Food Inspector role • The University of Illinois at Ur- is the best one for you. Next, if acabana Champaign demic roles are your interest, then you • Texas A&M University should know that the pay will depend • UC Davis on the University pay scales.

• University of Florida There will be extra incentives for Best Food Tech Colleges in Other those in the Sales & Marketing field. countries Without the incentives in mind, the salary levels are usually 20% to25% • University College Dublin higher than those in the R&D and QC/ • University College Cork QA field.

• Dublin Institute of Technology • University of Copenhagen Lastly, for the nutritionists and dieti• Denmark Technical University cians, the average annual wage is INR 210,000 for starters while Nutrition Salary Structures in the Food In- Managers can earn up to an average dustry in India of up to INR 750,000 per year. As a nutritionist or diet counselor, you can Now, here is the part that we have all also do freelancing, either on the side been wanting to get a sneak peek of. or as your main source of income.

Of course, we want to know the salary structures in the food industry, at least in India. So allow us to take you through a short journey to the salary structures.

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April 23th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 75

Product & Brand Management in the Food Industry In India, the food industry is huge, with every single role being important. For instance, R&D and QC/QA professionals are the ones responsible for making the food nutritious and safe for all of us. But, to be totally honest, Product Management and Brand Management are arguably two of the most sought-for and in-demand functions from the industry’s point of view.

To give you a picture, let us remember how Cadbury revived its image after the worm incident in Dairy Milk.

Also, just last year, Nestle exerted all possible efforts to revive the Maggi.

These are where product and brand management functions are most in need. A lot of strategies is very much needed as the competition is fierce.

If you are a foodie, into challenges, has a thing for strategy making has a whole lot of creative juices, and of course wants to be wealthy, then landing a job in these Food Industry roles should be your goal.

The scope of Food Industry in India Finally, we can now talk about the scope of the food industry in India. At present, it is currently valued at USD $39.71 billion. This can reach USD $65.4 billion by the end of the year as the Govt. of India and IBEF stated in its reports.

A DIPP report said that the Indi-

BIOTECH CAREER SPECIAL an Food Processing sector has about USD $6.7 billion as FDI between the years 2000 (April) and 2015 (December). The investments are poised to reach the value of USD $33 million in the next 10 years.

To add to this investment factor, another thing to consider is the opportunity factor. This is based on the data from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. To add, it reports that 42% of the Indian Food Processing Industry is still unorganized (D&B). Meaning to say, opportunities are up for grabs for prospective entrepreneurs.

All in all, the signs are very promising for the future within the food industry in India.

Well, if you still aren’t convinced, then the following key points might change your mind. These are based on IBEF and MakeInIndia websites: • The country ranked 6th in the World in terms of agricultural product exports in the year 2013 • India lands 2nd in terms of having the largest arable land in the world • The country possesses 20 agroclimatic regions; it has all 15 possible major climates, and it has 46 of the overall 60 possible soil types worldwide • The food processing sector contributed INR 845.22 billion to the GDP in 2012-2013 • Food Processing Industry also has the major employment intensive sectors in the country

• Food constitutes 38.5% and 48.6% of the total household consumption expenditure in 2011-2012 • The growing population is one huge factor in the increase in India’s overall food consumption • One-third of the population will be living in urban areas by 2020, resulting in an increase in branded, packaged, and ready-to-eat or ready-to-drink items • Food Processing has been recognized as a priority sector • Services of pre-conditioning, pre-cooling, ripening, waxing, retail packing, labeling of fruits and vegetables have been exempted from Service Tax • The food processing sector has a lot of exemptions and rebates are available. These include transportation costs, taxes, customs duty, and central excise duty • Various investment opportunities are available • 100% FDI is permitted in the automatic route for most food products • Many foreign players worldwide are interested to invest in the Indian Food Processing sector • There is demand for Food Tech Startups The Verdict To sum it all up, if you are a foodie and totally interested in science and maybe about technology, then you must consider and include in your goals a career in Food Science and Technology.

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The Food and Beverage industry in the country has been consistently rising and increasing and is fast-becoming of the top ones. Plus, it might not end anytime soon as we all know that all human beings and even all creature with life need to eat and drink in order to survive.

In other words, you likely will land a good-paying job in the food industry as long as you have the required education and training, whether here or abroad. The education and training in the food industry are very crucial to your career. Plus, you should also consider taking up further studies or short-term courses wherein you can earn certificates and merits. All these can be used on your application, depending on what role you are planning to pursue.

The bottom line here is that Food Science and Technology is here to stay, not only in India but anywhere around the world. It is one of the applied sciences that becomes even more in demand as the time goes by. If you land a career in this industry, you are a vital member of making sure that the food that people consume not only in your country but worldwide is safe and has the best nutrients one can get in a processed food and similar items.

So, we hope this article sheds more light not only about food science and technology but also on its importance and its function in the country and the lives of millions of individuals’ health.

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April 23th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 75

Bioinformatics Career Scope & Job Prospects Analysis Bioinformatics or computational biology is the use of information technology in the field of molecular biology or applying computer technology to biological research and management.

HEREBY COMPUTERS ARE USED TO GATHER, STORE, ANALYZE AND MERGE BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION.

By Dr. Preeti Saini

It is an emerging interdisciplinary research field and is progressively getting used to boost the standard of life. The ultimate goal of bioinformatics is to uncover the knowledge of biological data hidden in the mass and structure of sequence and develop clearer insight into the basic biology of organisms for using this information to reinforce the quality of life for the human race.

It has boundless importance in the present era when we are dealing with molecules in the range of nano to femtometers. The hereditary information of an organism is encoded within the DNA. Genomics, the study of an organism’s entire genome is developed to understand the basic molecule of life which is known as the code of life. DNA is the entity that directly controls the biological makeup of any living organism. Understanding the structure of DNA has created wonderful success over several genetic disorders. It is variations and errors in the genomic DNA which ultimately outline the probability of developing diseases or resistance to the same disorders.

Bioinformatics may have a profound impact in the lab as well as fields, ranging from, agriculture, biotechnology, human health, the environment, energy to advance medical analysis and development. It is getting used currently in the areas of molecular drugs to assist manufacture higher and a lot of customized medicines to prevent or cure diseases, it has environmental benefits in identifying waste cleanup microorganisms and in agriculture, it can be used for manufacturing high yield low maintenance crops. These are just a few of the numerous advantages bioinformatics can offer.

since the merging of information technology has taken place with molecular biology. Job prospects are everywhere ranging from biotechnology, hospitals, pharmaceutical, and biomedical sciences, research institutions till industry. A few specific career areas that fall within the scope of bioinformatics include Bio-analytics, Clinical pharmacologist, Computational chemist, Database design and maintenance, Proteomics, Pharmacogenomics, Pharmacology, Sequence assembly, Sequence analysis, Informatics developer, etc.

Bioinformatics Career Scope & Job prospects have become widespread after the merging of the information technology sector has taken place with that of molecular biology. Job prospects are in all sectors of biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and biomedical sciences, in research institutions, hospital, and industry.

Some of the career areas that specifically fall within the scope of bioinformatics include Bio-analytics and Analytics, Clinical pharmacologist, Computational chemist, Database design and maintenance, Informatics developer, Pharmacogenomics, Pharmacology, Proteomics, Sequence analysis, Sequence assembly, etc.

The work involved in the specific career areas are Characterisation of Bioinformatics Career Scope & proteins and their interactions (Proteomics), Comparing genetic data beJob Prospects tween and within species (Genomics), The career prospects in the field of Drug design utilising 3-D structure bioinformatics have further increased modelling and computational chemistry (Cheminformatics), Genomic

analysis in an attempt to find drug targets (Pharmacogenomics), Prediction of the function of genes and proteins based on sequence and structural data etc.

Bioinformatics Courses Available A wide range of courses is available in Bioinformatics like B.Sc. Bioinformatics, B.Sc. Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, M.Sc Bioinformatics, B Tech Bioinformatics, Advance Diploma in Bioinformatics, Post Graduate Diploma in Bioinformatics, Advance Post Graduate Diploma in Bioinformatics, Advanced Bioinformatics (ABI), Certificate Course in Bioinformatics, Diploma in Bioinformatics, M.S. Bioinformatics, M.Sc. Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, M.Tech.

Bioinformatics.

Let us take a few highest paying jobs around the globe, which one can apply for after pursuing a degree or course in bioinformatics.

– Postdoctoral Associate: Every Ph. D. student has a dream to pursue at least one postdoc in a developed country where he can find all the necessary facilities and get good publications. There are chances of getting one in countries like China, Korea, UK, USA, in universities which offer payscale in the range of $47,476-$55,308, with minimum qualifications including PhD in the appropriate area of specialization, with some basic knowledge of bioinformatics, computational biology and coding language with good pub-

lication records. Of course, one will have to clear other necessary requirements like GRE, TOEFL/IELTS, visa processing as well to get entry into these prestigious institutes. Not only this, certain institutes like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the USA, University of Maryland offer a sign-on bonus, health insurance, and a retirement plan as well. What else one can ask for!!

– Research Associate: It’s not the case that India is not providing sufficient opportunities to its valuable candidates. For those who want to serve their country, staying with their near and dear ones can find ample opportunities in universities, hospitals and research institutes in India as well.

Again, a research associate post has minimum eligibility criteria of having a Ph. D. with the requisite experience of the related instruments, with good publications. One can earn at least Rs. 55000/- per month, alongside getting exposure and improving their curriculum vitae.

– Medical coding jobs: Those without a Ph. D. should not get disheartened, as there are numerous opportunities for them as well throughout India. Medical coding jobs require only up to 2 years of experience in the relevant discipline along with a postgraduate degree. These offer a decent salary ranging from INR 2,50,000 –

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5,00,000 P.A. alongside handsome incentives. Other benefits include dayshift, food, cabs, etc.

– Assistant professor: For all those, who have completed Ph. D. degrees with utmost care and sincerity, in order to get settled as a Professor and earn huge respect in the society, choices are always open. Best universities throughout India are always offering Assistant Professor-Computational Biology/Bioinformatics.

However, along with Ph. D., publications, research expertise, they also need NET/SET qualifications, which you can easily crack taking the support of BioTecNika. As you already know, they have already implemented 7th CPC which offers salaries in the range of Rs. 57,700-1,82,400 per month, depending on qualifications and experience. Not only this, these are government institutions bound by their rules and regulations, so reserved categories are given due consideration.

BIOTECH CAREER SPECIAL – Junior Research Fellow: For those who have freshly submitted their M. Sc. thesis and are interested in learning newer techniques related to their field, there are vast choices to become a JRF. The only requirements are 60% marks in their post-graduation. Some institutes, however, demand NET/SET as well. Here, alongside learning new techniques and getting a clear hand, one also gets the chance of earning up to 35000/per month. Also, this will clear one’s mind to choose from his desires for pursuing the Ph. D. degree.

– Teaching in colleges: One can also take up teaching jobs in public institutions if you have a taste in teaching.

A fresher postgraduate joining a private sector pharmaceutical company is expected to get a salary within the range of Rs. 1,44,000 to Rs. 2,40,000 annually.Similarly, government lab employees can start on Rs. 9,000 along with government allowances.

One can find work in Pharmaceutical and Biotech firms wherever bioinformatics technologies are applied throughout the drug discovery methods. Firms like Accelrys, IBM Life Sciences Pubgene, Reliance, Satyam, Silicon Genetics, TCS, Tessella, Wipro, etc are recruiting bioinformatics candidates because it has made a considerable new market for IT infrastructure.

– Data Scientist- jobs require Talented and dynamic candidates who have completed a PhD or MSc in Bioinformatics, with a keen eye to detail, strong analytical skills, good communication and a desire to work in a team and solve challenging problems. These also demand expertise in languages like UNIX, command line Bioinformatics & Python, past experience in using large bioinformatics data-sets in a variety of formats, familiarity with SQL database and experience in data analysis and visualization. The best part being these

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are available in developed cities like Pune and Bengaluru, where IT parks are well developed and usually do not require the experience of more than 1-2 years.

– Associate Scientist: This is another highly paid job which requires qualifications like that of a data scientist viz. Masters in Bioinformatics, experience with Python, Hadoop, C, C++, SQL. Now, don’t get disheartened with programming languages like C, C++, etc. Nowadays, anyone can have that knowledge via short online courses.

So, we have seen there are unlimited opportunities in this field. These were only a few of the readily available options. Lot more similar opportunities can be observed and availed. So, have a clear vision, choose the correct path, focus in that direction, and for guidance, BioTecNika is always beside you.

labs.biotecnika.org

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April 23th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 75

CRISPR Research Trends & How to Build A Successful Career in CRISPR Since the end of the 20th century, CRISPR has been the most discussed topic in the scientific community. There are consistent predictions that this gene-editing technology has the potential to transform our planet.

COMPARED TO OLDER AND OTHER POPULAR TOOLS USED FOR GENETIC ENGINEERING, CRISPR-CAS9 IS CHEAP, EASY TO USE, PRECISE, AND REMARKABLY POWERFUL.

By Dr. Preeti Saini

The applicability of CRISPR is also wide-ranging from human biology, agriculture, and microbiology.

Researchers are still trying to figure out how CRISPR can be used to change the world for the better. However, the power to alter DNA brings along many ethical questions and concerns. In this article, we will be looking at the latest CRISPR Research ber of dominant genes, which leads Trends and tips on how to build up a the heart tissues to stiffen, and gives successful career in CRISPR. rise to chest pain, weakness, and, in severe cases, sudden cardiac arrest.

1. Use of CRISPR To Treat Genet- Still, there is a hope, that in the due ic Errors That Cause Disease course of time, we will be able to use gene editing to cure this disease once One of the rare, genetic, heart dis- and for all. eases is Hypertrophic cardiomyopa- Attempts had been made in 2017 thy (HCM), affecting roughly 1 in when the Oregon Health and Science every 500 people worldwide. This oc- University researchers used CRISPR curs because of mutations in a num-

to delete one of these defective genes in a number of viable human embryos. They injected 54 embryos with the CRISPR-Cas9 machinery 18 hours after fertilization. The results indicated that 36 of the embryos did not show any chance of developing the disease. Other 13 were having 50 percent chances of inheriting HCM. On further reducing the chances of inheritance, it was found that only one was

Learn New Techniques

a mosaic.

2. Algorithm-based approach to improve efficacy As per the report published in November 2018 in the leading journal Nature Biotechnology, CRISPR-Cas9 will enable scientists to predict the Next Page>>>>

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best sequences as a target to make gene editing more reliable, cheaper, less time consuming and more efficient. In this attempt, the researchers analyzed over 40,000 pairs of different target DNA and guide RNA deeply, and carried out CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in different cells. It was analyzed that the repair depended on the exact sequence of DNA and guide and discovered that it was reproducible within the same sequence. Thereafter, a machine learning computational tool, called FORECasT was generated, that enabled them to predict the repaired sequence, using the targeted DNA sequence alone.

In a similar attempt, a machine-learning algorithm in Delphi has been created that predicts how human and mouse cells respond to CRISPR-induced breaks in DNA. It was discovered that cells themselves repair broken genes in precise and inevitable manners, typically even returning mutated genes back to their healthy version. In fact, the researchers were able to successfully correct mutations in cells taken from patients with one of two rare genetic disorders.

3. Elimination of the Pathogens via CRISPR Cas9 Even after 38 years of discovery of HIV, scientists still haven’t found a cure. CRISPR can turn out to be a hopeful measure in this regard. In 2017, an experiment was carried out on mice to increase resistance to HIV. A team of Chinese researchers successfully implemented this by replicating a mutation of a gene that effectively prevents the virus from entering cells. This mutation has been found to occur naturally in a small percentage of people. Artificially it can be induced using CRISPR, which will considerably bolster HIV resistance in humans in the future. In another approach, scientists from North Carolina used CRISPR to engineer bacteriophages, to develop a proven, safe method for treating harmful bacteria.

4. Recreation of species using CRISPR Harvard geneticist George Church and his team have invested their valuable 11 years to recreate the DNA blueprint of the extinct mammoth.

DNA from mammoths preserved in Arctic permafrost has been used to discover that only 44 genes are separating mammoths from elephants.

BIOTECH CAREER SPECIAL more cold-resistant. The research- the eggs, and it needs costly instruers also look forward to inserting mentality and coaching to implement. non-mammoth genes, which will prevent them from growing tusks, to prevent poaching, as well as new DNA to allow them to eat a wider diet.

To address these limitations, the researchers developed ReMOT Con5. CRISPR Could Create New, trol—Receptor-Mediated Ovary Better & Healthier Foods Transduction of Cargo. This is the technique that will deliver a Cas9 Mushrooms that do not turn brown system to the target by a simple injechave already been created with the tion into the blood of feminine arthrohelp of CRISPR technology. Attempts pods, wherever it is often introduced have been made by the scientists from into the developing eggs via receptors Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in within the ovary. Rasgon explained New York to edit the genes which de- that in ovary and egg maturation, termine fruit size, branching architec- mosquitoes and alternative arthropods ture and, the shape of the plant for a synthesize food proteins, that are segreater harvest in tomato. creted into the blood and brought up into the ovaries. The assumption is to Before that, we should know the bypass the requirement for embryonic difference between GM crops and microinjection to attain ordering gene gene-edited crops. While traditional editing within the embryo.

GMOs are made by inserting foreign DNA sequences into a crop’s genome, 7. Designer babies makes precise alterations to genes in specific locations of the native ge- The first edit in the genes of a human nome. embryo in vitro was made by China in 2015 using CRISPR + IVF, which The leading company, DuPont Pi- sparked global outcry and pleas not to oneer is trying to bring its “waxy” make a baby using the technology. As gene-edited corn into the U.S. mar- per the reports, a team at the Southket by 2020. The U.S. Department of ern University of Science and TechAgriculture regulation has already ap- nology lead by He Jiankui had been proved gene-edited mushroom, since recruiting couples so as to create the it doesn’t contain genomes from vi- designer babies. They had planned to ruses or bacteria, declaring it the first eliminate a gene called CCR5 hoping CRISPR-edited organism to be green- to make the offspring resistant to HIV, lit. smallpox, and cholera. They have successfully brought two healthy, little 6. Possibility to Eradicate Mosqui- Chinese girls named Lulu and Nana toes into the globe in November 2018. He Jiankui said that his team performed Discoveries have given access to “gene surgery” on embryos created tackle the sleep menace ‘mosquito’ in from their parents’ sperm cell and the most astonishing ways. Scientists eggs to shield the youngsters from the at the University of California, Riv- human immunological disorder virus, erside have disrupted target genes in HIV, that causes AIDS. Their father is multiple locations of the mosquito’s HIV-positive. genes, using gene drive technology, by impairing the mosquito’s flight and Indian Research Community is all vision. Success was achieved in post- set to adapt for this trending gene edponing mosquito development, short- iting technology of CRISPR Cas9. In ening the animal’s lifespan, retarding fact, a lot of research is already being egg development, and diminishing conducted at Govt research labs and fat accumulation. Other researchers private biopharma companies with at the Imperial College London, have respect to CRISPR Research Trends tried another unique way to get rid – to tackle one re more issues faced of a female mosquito, by interfering globally related to health, agriculture with how they reproduce. and Food technology.

Current approaches in arthropods List of Research Institutes in India are based on delivering the gene-edit- Where CRISPR research is being ing Cas9 on to eggs by embryonic mi- conducted: croinjection, a tough and inefficient method that works in a mere a tiny • IARI – Indian Agricultural Relow range of species. As per Jason search Institute (IARI) Rasgon, faculty member of zoologi- • NIPGR – National Institute of It is an attempt to save endangered cal science and unwellness medicine, Plant Genome Research elephants they are trying to create har- Penn State school of Agricultural • JNU – Jawaharlal Nehru Univerdier mammoth hybrids that is much Sciences, microinjection will harm sity

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• DU – Delhi University • NBRI – National Botanical Research Institute • NABI – National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute • JUIT – Jaypee University of Information Technology • ILS – Institute of Life Sciences, BBSR • NII – National Institute of Immunology • NBRC – National Brain Research Centre • IIT – Indian Institute of technology – All Locations • IIsc – Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru • NRCPB – National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology • CSIR-NEIST – CSIR North East Institute of Science and Technology • CSIR-IICB – CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Biology • CSIR NCL – CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory • TIFR – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research • NCBS – National Center For Biological Sciences • CCMB – Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology List of Biopharma companies in India Where CRISPR research is being conducted: • • • • • •

Reliance LifeScience Thermo Fisher Bayer Syngene Merck GE Healthcare

A lot of job opportunities in this field exists for which you need to apply for vacancies in CRISPR related research projects at either research institutes or Biotech companies. But all of these jobs require a minimum qualification of being a postgraduate with NET / GATE qualification if you are joining a research lab or preferably a PhD degree (given priority).

• So, the first step here is to grab a PhD position for yourself after clearing any of the exams that can help you get admission as well as guarantee you a fellowship. E.g.

CSIR-JRF, ICMR-JRF, etc.

• You need to select for a potential guide, who himself is well aware of this new technique and can provide you with necessary facilities and guidance.

• Next, one should develop a re-

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search problem which has novel applications, that includes the use of CRISPR and which has not been standardized properly.

But always keep in mind that you require something to look upon, when in doubt. So, try to select a research problem, which may have been successfully implemented in some other way in some related model organism.

• Now, you should also have a basic understanding of genetic engineering and molecular biology protocols as well. E.g. like cloning, PCR, qPCR, RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, immunochemistry techniques like western blotting, immunofluorescence. If there is no possibility to keep all these techniques in your research work, you can

always opt for hands-on training courses or workshops which can be availed from any of the reputed laboratories.

• It may require additional hand-on-expertise on mammalian cell culture- experience handling multiple cell lines, transfection, electroporation, transduction, generation of stable cell lines, single cell clonal selection, RNAi mediated gene knockdown, transient and stable expression of proteins in mammalian cells.

• Again, in order to get experience in related techniques or CRISPR itself, you can join as a Junior Research Fellow in reputed laboratories.

• Once you have completed your M.Sc. / Ph.D. research work

successfully, you can apply for a patent as well, along with the publications in reputed journals.

These publications will give you an upper hand while applying for the jobs.

• Moreover, you can apply for Postdoctoral positions in similar fields, as limited knowledge may give you perfection in a particular field, but it will not give you exposure. The more you learn, the better are the chances for you to get a salary hike or promotion or possibly a government job as a scientist.

April 23th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 75

prove yourself.

Recent developments have proven CRISPR to extremely versatile, precise and safe. However, the technology is still in its adolescence. Till date, we are facing technological and ethical hurdles that are not allowing us to feed the hunger-stricken planet, remove genetic disorders, or conserve extinct animal species back to life. But we are making progress in a satisfactory manner. But one thing is clear- CRISPR is a technology which in near future will be adapted globally looking to its diverse applications but of course, the practice should be Let me remind you that CRISPR done under strict guidelines to avoid will offer you highly paid jobs (Re- its misuse. search associate Salary US $ 40000).

Since his field is still in its infancy, So are you CRISPR job ready yet? you will get ample opportunities to

Career In Patents & Copyright Industry After Masters in Life Sciences Intellectual property (IP) owes to any original creativity of the human intellect such as artistry, literature, technical, or scientific dimension. Intellectual property rights (IPR) alludes to the legal rights given to the inventor or creator to protect his invention or creation for a particular span of time.

THESE LEGAL RIGHTS ADDRESS AN EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO THE INVENTOR/CREATOR OR HIS ASSIGNEE TO FULLY UTILIZE HIS INVENTION/ CREATION FOR A GIVEN SPAN OF TIME.

By Priyanjana Ghosh

A patent is granted for an exclusive invention, that satisfies the notion of global novelty, non-cognizable, and industrial or commercial application.

Patents can be awarded for various products and their processes. As per the Indian Patent Act 1970, the span of a patent was 14 years from the date of filing except for processes for manufacturing drugs and food products for which the span given was 7 years from the date of the filing or 5 years from the date of the patent, whichever would be earlier. No product patents were permitted for drugs and food products. Copyright was generated in a member country of the Berne Convention that was protected in all the member countries, without any necessity for registration. India is an endorser for the Berne Convention and has dynamic copyright legislation comparable to that of any other countries. However, the copyright will not be available in all other countries that are not a part of the of the Berne Convention. Therefore, copyright may not

be observed as a territorial right in a constricted sense. The most important aspect, like any other property IPR, can be transferred, sold, or gifted.

This article has been penned with an aim to give Life science & Biotech students a vivid view of how a Career In Patents & Copyright Industry looks like along with details on Salary, eligibility criteria, Online exams, career prospects in future and much more.

Why Patents and Patent agents – An India Scenario As India emerged as an economic able country in the 1990s, our policymakers conceded the importance of

IP to encourage private investment in Research and Development. According to a guide published by WIPO and many other studies in the past, a healthy IP system is a prime element in encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI). According to the WIPO report, there has been an undeviating increase in FDI in India, ever since the patent and Trademark reform was introduced in the 1990s. In the rise of India’s economic growth, it may be worthy to be aware of the immense importance of IP, the role of professionals within this field and why IP hold an important impact on our economy. The IP protection, mainly patents are the key force for further

innovation, technology upliftment, and development of newer products that would revolutionize mankind.

To legally own an IP, one has to file for its protection. The strategies associated with these may be rather complicated, often requiring a negotiator with a legal background to proceed with the application. It is interesting to note that the skill required for the protection of each form of IP might require a skill that is different from the other. However, most of the law-

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BIOTECH CAREER SPECIAL

yers undertake copyright and Trademarks work, protection under patents require exclusive technical and scientific expertise in the area sought to be protected. Therefore the largest demand for IP lawyers is for those who can do patent work. While the patent drafting in itself is extremely challenging, patent apprehension is equally a job of clarity and dynamism which requires dealing with the objections raised by the examiners.

However, standing on the current economic trend, patents by far are one of the most useful forms of IP and is the only form that can protect innovative and novel ideas.

upon Biotechnology patent law focuses on securing and defending the property rights granted by patents on technologies developed and invented by scientists working in the field of biosciences. There are quite a number of opportunities in biotechnology patent law for both patent lawyers (who combine a law degree and a background in science or technology) and others that do not require a law degree, including becoming a patent examiner, serving as a scientific advisor for any law firm or any legal department of a company, and working in technology transfer at a University.

Now in this context, we can discuss some common questions related to Career In Patents & Copyright patenting which will usually come up Industry – Career as a patent agent in our minds:Throughout the life of the patent, from filing to grant to the expiration of the patent, the patent agent continues to be confidentially linked to the particular invention, following up with the legal requirements to ensure that the patent does not lapse due to any negligence. With all the grandeur of the technology behind the invention, the agent is nevertheless faced with the routine roles of tracking deadlines and writing letters to clients, filling in forms, attending meetings with inventors and many more.

Nevertheless, the field offers an interesting approach to science – learning about newer fields. Dr. Theresa Phillips, an environmental biologist has written in her blog “Success in this field depends on an ability to go “fact-finding”; gathering information and processing it an orderly fashion.

Both require a high amount of logical introspection and attention to detail”.

Although a PhD is not a mandate to enter the field, in specialized areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biomedical research and this may make it immensely useful to get the essence of the field and HOW CAN IT BE BENEFICIAL FOR BIOTECH AND LIFE SCIENCE STUDENTS? Being a Biopatent lawyer Life science is all about studying life processes. The opportunity of PhD in IPR is quite good as the person is familiar with the research but the best way to move ahead is to pursue any online IPR courses and get an overview of IPR. One should have immense interest and passion to solve the queries related to the intellectual creations of mind and to add one should also have a problem-solving approach as the client is in a hunt for a proper way out. Moreover, to look

Who is a patent attorney?

A patent attorney is a technical and a legal professional both who represents clients in obtaining patents and in filing a lawsuit in case of infringement by some competitor.

What can be an expected salary if anyone aspires to be a patent lawyer?

Salary of a patent agent in India ranges in between 3.0 lakh per annum to 20 lakh per annum. The entry-level salary for freshers can range in between Rs 20,000 to Rs 28,000/- pm.

However, if you are successful in grabbing a job with top law firms the perks will be even higher – in such case salary offered to freshers can go as high as Rs 35,000/- pm. Specialization also matters – if you are just getting into filling – initial pay will be on the lower side. But if you are into reading claims, drafting applications etc pay package will be on the higher side.

• At the later point of the career, you can also make progress on the basis of your learning potential and performance • Creative abilities to make valuable contributions to the invention may end up as co-inventors.

How to make an entry in this field?

Gaining expertise in any of the life science fields will do —Botany, Zoology, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology etc. Bachelor’s or preferably a Master’s in any of the above-mentioned fields can be pursued. After this, a diploma in intellectual patent rights from a known institute or an LLB from IIT (Kharagpur) where intellectual property rights are the prime focus has to be done.

Next, some law firm or company as a trainee in the patent department can be joined and after gaining a year’s experience you can actually appear for a patent agent exam. Once it has been qualified, any law firm can be joined, a corporate or an outsourcing firm with a job profile, whichever you find the best — drafting, prosecution or litigation.

List of Top Institutes From Where you can get a relevant degree • Academy of Intellectual Property Studies, Mumbai for a PG diploma programme in patent management (www.aips.ac.in) • NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad for a PG diploma programme in patent law (www. nalsar.ac.in) • Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for a PG diploma in IPR (www.ignou. ac.in) • National Institute of Intellectual Property Management, Nagpur (www.patentoffice.nic.in/niipm/ index.htm) What are the required skills?

• • • • • • • •

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General Chemistry Marine Technology Microbiology Molecular Biology Organic Chemistry Pharmacology Physics Textile Technology

If you have one of the degrees on the list you are said to qualify to sit for the exam under Category A and all that is needed is to submit your application and transcript. If anyone having a degree then he/she is eligible to sit for the patent bar exam, but you need to prove either enough credits of coursework (Category B) or generalized technical expertise (Category C). For those who are unable to qualify as a result of not having a bachelor’s degree in one of the above disciplines, the most common way of demonstrating the technical sophistication is to resort to what is called Category B. Under Category B an applicant can qualify to sit for the patent bar examination through the fulfillment of one of four options (Given below).

Option 1: 24 semester in physics.

Only physics courses for physics major paper will be accepted.

Most importantly, the person should bear a technological and legal acu- Option 2: 32 semester in a combimen to understand the major innova- nation consisting of the following: tions and have a research capability to work at least for 10-12 hours. Think- • 8 semester of either chemistry or ing out of the way to solve a research physics, and project is key in assisting the inven- • 24 semester in botany, microtors to protect their inventions. biology, or molecular biology.8 semester of either chemistry or Is it mandatory to qualify a patent physics must be obtained in two agent’s exam to become a patenting consecutive semesters, each seprofessional? mester including a lab.

Primarily, there are two forms of job Option 3: 30 semester in chemistry. roles. The first one is the prosecution, which includes meeting the examiner Option 4: 40 semesters in a combi(official) in the patent office and get- nation consisting of the following: ting the patent approved. To be able to deal with the patent officials, one • 8 semester of either chemistry or must have cleared the agent’s exam. physics, and • 32 semester of chemistry, physIn order to become a patent attorney ics, botany, microbiology, moor patent agent, it is mandatory to take lecular biology. The 8 semesters and pass the Patent Bar Examination. of chemistry or 8 semesters of Only those individuals with scientifphysics must be obtained in two ic education are allowed to sit for the consequent semesters, each seexamination, and it is not a necessity mester including a lab. to have any legal training for writing the exam. The easiest and more direct How does a career in IP evolve in way is to have a bachelor’s degree in India? one of the listed fields.

The individuals in our country are • Biology most passionate about protecting in• Biochemistry novations. To get evolved in this field • Botany • Computer Science • Electronics Technology • Food Technology Next Page>>>>

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one has to be technology savvy. The Intellectual Property law has evolved a lot in the last 10 year and now it’s a trademark that can be registered in less than one month in India with proper documentation. The Indian government is giving a number of grants to startups in India to grow.

websites. IPR rights are territorial in nature, that is, if a patent is protected in India and not in the US then anybody is free to use the technology in the US. A patent is granted to a technology that is afresh, non-obvious to an expert in the same field, and have industrial applicability. Right from patent filing before the patent office What is the kind of work one is ex- to patent grant, a number of steps are pected to do in this field? executed by a number of patent associates. Apart from this, a patent expert Reviewing and researching the tech- can research and work on a number of nologies filed across global patent projects related to foreign patent lit-

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igation cases, which is an excellent nowadays that the companies today knowledge process outsourcing mod- are carrying out intellectual properel thriving in India. ty audits to identify their intellectual wealth and form special departments Global trade today is ruled by com- to manage them. Currently, almost panies and Multinational corporations every country is seeking measures to who have created and protected their strengthen its shield against cases reintellectual property. No companies lated to intellectual property and Inexist that embodies this better than dia also has feigned specific laws on Microsoft, and has been built entire- a variety of aspects related to intellecly on the strength of its software pro- tual property. grams which are protected through copyright. Protection of intellectual property has been a mandatory issue

How To Get Job In CBI & Forensic Department After Life Science Degree The alarming rate at which crime is increasing all over the world is a matter of deep concern. To be practical crime & criminals can never be eradicated completely from the society hence the need of a Forensic Scientist is a necessity in all city, states & countries.

IN ORDER TO ENSURE QUICK & CORRECT JUSTICE TO BE PASSED, A MAJOR ROLE IS BEING PLAYED

BY A FORENSIC SCIENTIST.

By Rashmi Sanyal

They look at a crime scene with a scientific mind and analyze pieces of evidence to help the legal system.

Many students who are in their life science graduation or post graduation level are unaware that they can make their career in this domain too. To understand in depth How To Get Job In CBI & Forensic Department After Life Science Degree, we must first understand what is Forensic Science & what are the job responsibilities of a forensic scientist.

• Collect, identify and classify physical evidence pertaining to a crime scene or suspect • Collect data, photograph, and pieces of evidence like blood smear, fingerprints, bullets to help understand the past events in the area.

• They are responsible for documenting the evidence • Their investigations are conducted independently to avoid partiality.

• The evidence is tested. With detailed analysis, records are prepared for each case • May be required to reconstruct accident scene to trace past events.

• These pieces of evidence may be used during criminal trials to testify and explain the suspicions.

Step 1: Complete Class 12 with a good academic record. A scientist must have strong basics to be able to handle investigations on their own.

Step 2: Earn a Bachelor’s degree to be able to be eligible for a career in Forensic science. One may also choose to complete their graduation in Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Zoology, Applied Sciences or Physiology. It is always advised to have a deep knowledge and hands-on experience with various techniques used for analysis. One may complete certifications in the same.

Step 3: One may also obtain a graduate degree and/or post graduation degree in Forensic Science itself. There are both graduation and post-graduation courses offered in Forensic Science in various institutes, few of which have been listed below.

Forensic scientists help in criminal The path to becoming a Forensic investigations by performing the fol- scientist lowing duties:

• Gujarat Forensic Sciences University • National Institute of Criminolo-

Forensic science is one of the most sought-after avenues. The term forensic is obtained from Latin word “forensis” that means “of or before the forum. A forensic scientist may work as a freelancer or may be associated with departments like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) & Intelligence Bureau (IB), Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL). They can also be employed in the government sector, where they work in different law enforcement agencies and investigation departments such as police, investigative services of state and central government and legal system.

Role of a Forensic Scientist

• • • • • • • • • •

gy & Forensic Science Lovely Professional University Amity University Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University Swami Vivekananda University Deen Dayal Upadhaya college Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College St. Xavier’s college University of Madras Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University Dr. Hari Singh Gour University

Step 4: To have a successful career, it is essential to narrow down your specialty. For instance, if you work with DNA analysis, it is wise to complete additional courses in that field.

Certifications and hands-on experience are always welcome.

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There are many specializations offered under Forensic science. If presented with an opportunity to complete a course on the same, it would be advisable to take it. A few of them have been listed below.

• • • • • • •

Forensic Biology Forensic Chemistry Forensic Entomology Forensic Ballistics Forensic Botany Forensic Serology Forensic Toxicology

Step 5: Some job requirements may be purely medical. For example, a medical report creation or a medical examination can only be done by a doctor. Hence, one may also qualify MBBS and MD or a pathology degree before switching to the field of Forensics.

Step 6: Earn an associate in Law enforcement if you want to be able to be a crime scene investigator. It even allows one to testify in court cases when the need arises.

Step 7: It is essential to obtain a Master’s degree in Science along with a NET certification in Forensic Science to be eligible to teach the subject in college. In certain scenarios, a Doctorate degree may also be required. Example a doctorate in Molecular Biology may be a suitable candidate for teaching the analytical techniques.

Step 8: On the job Training. The more experience you can gain, the easier it is to switch or pick a career.

Especially in Forensic Science, experience gives you better judgment and analysis.

Forensic science fields and their eligibility Forensic Biology – This field can be pursued after a degree in either Forensic science or Biological Sciences.

A scientist is required to apply biology to identify a crime suspect by DNA sample analysis or even mitochondrial sample analysis. In order to this, a candidate must be strong in the basic biology and must be able to understand biological systems well.

Then they will be able to analyze the anomalies associated with a crime scene.

Forensic Pathology – Forensic Pathologists carry out autopsies to establish the cause of death. They identify the injuries, associate them with the type of weapon used, and are responsible for the collection and maintenance of the exhibits. They generally are from a medical background.

There may be requirements for Microbiologists as there may be analysis

BIOTECH CAREER SPECIAL required of various human samples.

Forensic Toxicology – They are concerned with the identification of foreign chemicals, poison or drugs administered in the victim’s body.

They may fall under – (a) Analytical Toxicology involving chemical analysis of viscera using sophisticated techniques. The essential qualification is M.Sc. or Ph.D. in Toxicology/Forensic Science. (b) Poison information involving in providing information relating to the nature of poisons. The basic qualification is an MBBS. (c) Management of acute and chronic toxicity caused by poisonous substances, for which the basic qualification again is an MBBS.

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degree

who have been accused or convicted of crimes. They might evaluate perForensic science as a career petrators to determine the risk of recidivism or help victims deal with the The minimum qualification required trauma they have encountered or even to begin a career in Forensic Scienc- decide whether someone is fit to stand es is Graduation. A lot of career path trial. choices can be made. Some choose the field of education, while others Latent Fingerprint Examiner choose the analytical work.

(Bachelor’s degree in science and extensive training) Though someone pursuing forensic science might initially start their edu- These forensic scientists are highcation with many of the same cours- ly specialized in identifying, analyzes as others in the program, they will ing and lifting fingerprints at a crime eventually are required to specialize scene. There may be field work rethrough certain additional courses quired or they may be required to stay that lead them onto their own path. in the lab to analyze the prints and Below is a list of a few of the most submit their reports. These reports common forensic science careers and may be presented to the appropriate the responsibilities allocated to them. law enforcement officials.

Forensic Science Technician Apart from these career fields, there (Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sci- are some which have recently been deForensic Psychiatry – This field ence and on the job training) veloped. For example, for a very viodetermines the mental health of the lent crime scene, there may be Bloodcriminal when they testify whether or Forensic science technicians may stain Pattern Analysts. They check not the crime was conducted. require to work in one of two areas: the blood spatter, associate it with the They inspect crime scenes, collect instrument and the victim and predict Forensic Microbiologists – One can and analyze the evidence present in whether the wounds were self-inflictpursue this area after a degree in Pa- the field, or they work in the labo- ed or the direction of movement of the thology or Microbiology. They are re- ratory, where they perform tests and culprit etc. Often these data are used quired to trace the biological evidence analyze the evidence collected. Both by insurance companies to filter false of a case. Starting from analyzing the responsibilities are equally impor- claims from authentic ones. food consumed by the victim to ana- tant and require precision, following lyzing body samples and excreta, a proper protocol to sustain evidence Forensic Ballistic Experts identify scientist may be required to ascertain chain of custody, and submitting re- the bullet used and the wound inflictthe cause of death. ports. Technicians may be required to ed. They can trace the weapon used specialize in a variety of areas for ex- for the assault. There are even docForensic Fingerprint Experts – ample fingerprint analysis or digital ument examiners to assess the docThey can join after a degree in Ge- forensics. umentation work of the case. There netics or Molecular Biology. They are can be polygraph test analyzers who needed for the identification of fin- Medical Examiner (Doctoral de- can help in the criminal investigation gerprint samples which can be used gree in medicine) by analyzing the authenticity of statein pedigree analysis and establishing ments given. paternity and maternity. This has now Medical examiners perform autopbeen computerized and the data is sies and medicolegal examinations, Conclusion: even used to trace suspects immigrat- which include locating and assessing ing to other nations. body injuries, trauma, and hence de- It is never late to decide your catermining the cause of death while reer path. Life science is a vast field.

Additional Documents required identifying victims. They may be re- There are numerous employment avfor a career in Forensics: quired to interview those who discov- enues under it. Forensic Science is ered the body or to re-create a crime one such area which beckons students Every department operating with scene to ascertain past events. They passionate about crime investigation Forensic Science may have their own evaluate photographs of the crime and bringing justice to society. There requirements for selection. A few of scene and look through the medical are various techniques learned under the well-noted criteria are given be- history information on the victim. applied biology that are required in low.

They may be required to issue death forensic analysis. Also, individuals certificates and determine the cause strong in understanding biological • Identification and Citizenship and manner of death. processes and systems can help in proof analyzing evidence related to a crime • Academic documents Forensic Psychologist (doctoral de- scene. The only thing required is a • Certification in the specialized gree in Psychology) good academics record and a Bachefield intended to join lor’s degree in Science. With hands• May be required to clear NET in Often, a criminal can be identified on training in the job assigned, one Forensic Science by studying a person’s character and will be able to master the skills need• May require a police clearance behavior. Forensic psychologists in- ed for becoming a Forensic Scientist. certificate for a background test. tersect psychology and the law. They • Medical test to prove sanity and often associate with people in the leeligibility. gal system, including lawyers, judges • May require a medical science and police officials, to evaluate those

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April 23th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 75

Biotech Salary Analysis – City Wise Biotech Jobs & Salary

When we choose a course, it is a general behavior to think about its future career aspects including the salary. For all we know, Biotechnology is a rising career in India.

A fraction of biotechnologists have landed up getting a high salaried job in companies like ITC, Hindustan Unilever, Dr. Reddy’s and also in various Govt research labs. You can get one too.

BEFORE THAT, YOU NEED TO KEEP READING AHEAD AND KNOW ABOUT THE BIOTECH SALARY STATISTICS IN INDIA & ABROAD.

By Shekhar Suman

As per latest statistics by Govt of India, Biotech sector is currently growing at 20% growth rate and is expected to touch USD 100 billion by 2025 – thanks to various multi-national companies and research institutes who have consistently given great career opportunities to qualified individuals.

The salary for biotechnologists in India largely depends on knowledge, skills, and experience. At present, a certain company or industry for the there are 12 leading companies with actual salary figures before getting the highest employment rate and sal- hired. ary grade in India. The average annual salary by the leading biotech companies ranges from Rs.2,29,238 to Rs.8,28,746 per year. The numbers are projected to double in the future as the demand for biotech graduates increases.

In this article, we have gathered some important data about the average salary range by different biotech companies and industries. We’ve also listed leading biotech positions and their corresponding salary grade.

Salary Range by Company Here you will see a rough summary of the leading companies in India that

offers biotech career opportunities for both B.Tech and MSc in Biotech, and their corresponding salary range.

Disclaimer: This article does not intend to alter the current salary range imposed by different biotech companies in India. Please note that all salary figures are approximations based on various online data. The minimum wage may differ by jurisdiction and will constantly change over time. It best that you consult the employer of

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Biotech Salary by Cities

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Production and Manufacturing

The geographical location can also affect the salary range of biotech engi- Production and manufacturing involve understanding products and packagneers. If you want to earn higher, you also to take into consideration the city ing. Employment in manufacturing has shown a steady growth since 1995. At where you would want to settle for work. Below is the salary range of biotech present, the industry has added 185, 000 jobs which translate to a 2.3 percent engineers according to cities. increase.

Salary Range by States The table below will show you the salary range of biotech professionals by states.

Administrative Assistance Admin duties circle around giving assistance to the management, distributing information, taking memos, and maintaining files. Employment as administrative assistance in India has grown to at least 3 percent since the last decade.

More companies are expected to hire secretaries and administrative assistant from 2018 to 2021.

Salary Range by Industry Generally, biotech is divided into different industries where you can exercise your expertise. Below are the leading biotech industries in India and their corresponding salary range.

India has been a target of many foreign investors with the aim to generate more jobs in biotech. There have various investments that the government and various Indian corporates put up for this sector since 1992, resulting in the flourishing number of employment in biotech industries.

Salary By Biotech Positions

Although many biotech students felt the need for more development in India’s biotech industries, major scientific breakthroughs have been happening around the city, be it intensive research done at IISc’s and IIT’s or the 1$ vaccine by Serum Institute of India.

Biotech is in a boom state. In a broad sense, biotech involves studying different organisms, cells, and molecules. In fact, when we hear the term “biotech”, The institute accounts for a huge number of biotech jobs for both biotech fresh graduates and experienced. At present, the government is looking forit leads us to think about working in the laboratory or doing field research.

However, the biotech industry is more than just that. It comprises different ward to evolving biotech as one of the progressive industries in India. career opportunities inside and outside of the laboratory. Currently, the biotech industry is valued at $28 billion, with approximately 1, 457 companies How to Become a Biotechnologist employing more than 179, 000 people in different categories. These include So now you’re interested to become a biotechnologist. Generally, candidates research, manufacturing, sales, and development. for biotech engineer jobs must have a postgraduate degree in Biotechnology.

So here are the biotech positions in India which you might want to consider and their corresponding salary range.

There are companies that focus on experience rather than the educational background but getting a Doctoral degree will give you an edge, especially if you are aiming for high positions.

Management Some companies recruit fresh graduates but you can’t expect to immediately achieve a higher position. Perhaps, you can start from a low-rank position and Managerial positions include setting goals for the groups, creating management policies, and deciding what work needs to do to meet the company’s mis- eventually vie for a promotion. sion. Managerial jobs are one of the most stable jobs in the biotech industry, The best thing about being a biotechnologist is the chance to be flexible. It with employment rate expected to double from 2018 to 2021. allows you to work both inside and outside of the laboratory, or focus more on the business side of biotech. Nevertheless, every company has its own set of tests and interviews before you can get into your most desired job. The key is to maintain a good academic performance, pass the exam and interview, and show your best self in the job.

A lucrative career awaits students who have graduated with B. Tech or MSc in Biotech. You may also take up a doctoral degree in Biotech and view for higher industry positions in Biotech. So now that you know the different career opportunities in biotech and their corresponding salary, it is up to you which company or state to work. All the best!

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April 23th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 75

Top 10 Competitive Entrance Exam For Msc Microbiology Students A famous quote says ‘Don’t call it a dream, call it a plan. I am sure all of you must have dreamt to be a scientist or a brilliant teacher having a huge fan following before taking a path of Microbiology as your career.

SOME OF US HAVE ALSO DAYDREAMED IN OUR CELL BIOLOGY CLASS DURING OUR GRADUATION ABOUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO MAKE OUR CAREER BIG

BY DOING INGENIOUS RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF MICROBIOLOGY.

By Kajol Patel

In today’s time, we are lucky to have an amazing amount of opportunities both nationally and internationally to start our research career after post-graduation.

But with an ocean of opportunities, we often fear and develop anxiety about which will be the right path and how one should plan to go about it.

Worry not!!! Biotecnika will help you to plan your career after your Masters in Microbiology and give you an overview of competitive entrance exams that you can give after MSc Microbiology and harness maximum benefits out of it.

Below is the list of Top 10 Competitive Entrance Exam For Msc Microbiology Students: 1. CSIR NET Exam: Objective: Lectureship, Project Assistantship, and PhD CSIR NET Exam Ranks No.1 in the list of 10 Competitive Entrance Exam For Msc Microbiology students. I would call it the king of all the competitive exams that are present in the scientific field in India. If you are in a Life science field, then qualifying CSIR NET is equivalent to having an Aadhaar card for qualifying for a job profile especially in the research and education fields. Every year the exam is conducted twice, one in June and the other one in December. If you qualify the exam, you will be awarded with Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) and/ or with Lectureship (LS).

This depends upon the percent marks that you score in the exam. A JRF is awarded with 25000/- fellowship per month for the first 2 years and then with SRF i.e. 28000/- per month for the 3rd and subsequent years and recently the fellowship has also been hiked.

CSIR NET is considered a very important exam which is well recognized

in all the renowned research institutes of India. Hence ideally to start a reliable and quality career in the field of research and teaching one must aim to qualify CSIR NET in Life-science after their Msc Microbiology.

2. GATE Exam Objective: Ph.D. and Project assistantship The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an entrance examination that tests one’s subject knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of various undergraduate subjects in science and engineering. It is conducted once every year (mostly in February) and the conducting institutes are Indian Institute of Science and the 7 IITs. The score is valid for the next 3 years and the candidate qualifying Gate is eligible to apply for PhD in national recognized institutes like IISc and IITs where they can get the best guidance to complete the first major stepping stone in the path of becoming an impeccable scientist. So while you are in your Master’s degree in Microbiology you must start preparing for this exam.

3. Joint Graduate Entrance Examination for Biology and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences (JGEEBILS) Objective: PhD It is a shared entrance test for Ph.D. programmes in the field of Biology and interdisciplinary life sciences.

Institutes like NCBS, TIFR, IISERs,

and IISc are some of the institutes recognize this entrance exam in order to select candidates for Ph.D. admissions. The main motto for coming up with such a test was to reduce the difficulties that students faced while giving multiple entrance tests and also to reduce the duplication of efforts. Although each participatory institute has its own eligibility criteria and admission process, JGEEBILS acts as an important stepping stone in these criteria of selection. Ideally, after qualifying this exam, students should apply separately in the participatory institutes for getting admitted for Ph.D. In order to climb up the career ladder faster be it microbiology related field or any other Life Science field, a Ph.D. degree is a must.

4. AICE JRF/SRF(PGS) – All India Competitive Examination Objective: Ph.D. and Project assistantship ICAR is the managing institute which has come up with this national level exam. It has been held once a year, most commonly in June/August. Postgraduate students from microbiology will get a scholarship of 15000/- per month for first two years and 17500/- per month for the 3rd year. All the national ICAR institutes and other recognized universities recognize this exam and consider it for their project assistantship and Ph.D. positions. This is one of the ideal ways to start as a fresher after MSc Microbiology, gain some experience in the research area of your choice

and then plan ahead.

ICAR Examinations for 2019 for AIEEA (UG), AIEEA (PG) & AICEJRF/SRF (PGS) will be conducted 01 July 2019 this year. Click here to Know More Details.

5. ICMR-JRF Exam Objective: Ph.D. and Project assistantship The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in partnership with Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh conducts an entrance exam at National level for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).

As per revised emoluments, a JRF is entitled to get Rs 25,000/- pm and SRF – Rs 28,000/p pm. Again this exam is ideal for fresh Msc Microbiology pass outs if you are inclined enough towards a successful career in research.

6. University entrance exams for Ph.D.- PET Objective: PhD Known as the home for education, Pune harbors the renowned Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), formerly known as the University of Pune, which was founded in 1948.

The university is home to 70 Research recognized Institutions and 46

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academic departments. SPPU conducts its own PET exam for Ph.D. admissions. Though the stipends are not provided still students can clear this exam and get enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate in any funded projects. SPPU is one of the recognized University doing Ph.D. from it will help a microbiologist to succeed in her/his career and guide him/her to become a recognizable scientist.

7. ARS-Agricultural Service

Research

Objective: Scientist position Most of the students know that ARS exam is only for agricultural science candidates which is a myth thus is included in the Top 10 Competitive Entrance Exam List For Msc Microbiology.

ARS is charged with exploring and expanding the nation’s scientific knowledge and solving agricultural problems through its four national program areas: food safety, nutrition, quality, and safety sustainable crop production and protection. It’s a part of ICAR and the recruitment to this position will enable one to be positioned at a scientist level.

8.GRE/TOEFL/IELTS Exams

Objective: Ph.D. and MS

Objective: Scientist position

The Graduate Record Examinations is a standardized test that is a part of the admissions requirement for most graduate schools in the United States and Australia. Scores are valid up to 5 years and one can apply for Ph.D. positions at some of the best universities in the U.S, Canada, and Australia.

Scores of more than 310 are ideal for getting admissions in good universities.

The BSI conducts an entrance exam once every year for the position of Scientist B. The exam pattern is simple and questions are related to reasoning, technical knowledge, quantitative aptitude, and English literature.

This exam gives one of the best opportunities to start a career as a scientist after MSc Microbiology. Though one of the important aspects is that one needs to have a good amount of research experiences before starting TOEFL test – the leading Eng- your career as a scientist in order to lish-language test for work, study be in a long successful race. and immigration. TOEFL scores are accepted by more than 900 universi- 10.DBT-BET Exam ties and other institutions in over 100 countries, including Australia, Cana- Objective: PhD da, New Zealand, the U.K., the United States, and all across Europe and DBT announces Biotechnology enAsia. Scores more than 100 are con- trance test (BET) every year which sidered to be good enough for the ad- is conducted only once. Junior remissions in recognized universities. search fellowship (JRF) is awarded to the candidates who have come in the IELTS– The International English merit list.

Language Testing System is an English language speaking test accepted There are basically two categories: by most British, Australian, Canadian, Irish and New Zealand academic • Category I fellowship is awardinstitutes and by over 3000 academic ed to top 275 rankers who can register themselves for Ph.D. in institutes in the United States.

Universities or Institutes.

9.Bureau of Indian Standards • Category II fellowships are (BIS) Exam awarded to the next 100 rankers

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and these students are eligible to join any DBT sponsored projects and the fellowship will be availed from the project.

Wow!! So here we are with a tentative list of 10 Competitive Entrance Exam For Msc Microbiology students. So many opportunities are waiting for you after your post-graduation in the field of microbiology / MSc Microbiology. So, get started and start planning how would you like to design your career after your post-graduation. The best future comes with the best and most reliable choices that you make. Hence make the most out of the choices that are present for you and the earliest the choices are made, the sooner and better you will get started with your research career.

NB: The above exams can also be written by candidates with a Masters degree in other Life Science subjects such as Biotech, Biochemistry and many more. Thus while applying for any of the exams enlisted above we request you to go through the official notifications released at Biotecnika website carefully, and apply for the exam keeping in mind how you want to strategize your career, where you want to see yourself in the upcoming 5 years of time.

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April 23th, 2019 Vol. 03 NO 75

Quality Research vs Publication in High Impact Journal! What’s Important?

Research & Development has been scaled up to a commendable level since last decade. In fact, a country’s strength is now measured on the scale of how efficient its R&D is! Research has currently been inculcated into each & every field be it science or arts.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT IN THE LIFE SCIENCE AREA ALONE HAS WITNESSED A STEEP RISE.

By Dr. Preeti Saini

This has helped in eradicating life-threatening diseases like polio and pox and treating morbid disorders & numerous cancers. No doubt, it has led to betterment for humanity associated with health and quality of life.

But research must be conducted beneath the umbrella of ethics and consistent with the pre-determined, acceptable rules developed by the community of scientists. Once the results are obtained, publishing them is the responsibility of every scientist, in order to spread across the word globally. This will aid different researchers to analyze further on the obtained results and facilitate clinicians to relinquish additional care to the sick.

Writing analysis isn’t solely a science but also a tough art. It needs honesty, hard work, patience, and perseverance. Increased competition in the field of good research has made it even difficult for the researchers to get their manuscript published in a highly reputed journal. Best of the journals look forward to those manuscripts which have the best quality research supported by ethical guidelines on scientific backgrounds. To each researcher, his own data/ manuscript/ finding is most important and relevant to the current world scenario.

However, all of those manuscripts do not pave their ways into leading journals. Rejection obviously discourages the author/researcher. But does that mean that his research is not good quality, or is not up to the standards that are laid down internationally? We will try to find an answer to this particular question while going through views of leading researchers.

Now, anyone, who is from the research background knows that the quality of a journal is determined by its Impact Factor. The impact factor is the measure of the impact of certain journals in the scientific community that represents the average number of citations which every article in that journal has received over the last few years. The higher the impact factor of

the journal the higher the reputation among those scientists. Its calculation is based on the number of times items published in that journal in previous years were cited by indexed publications in the succeeding years.

This term is also governed by other factors like H-index, self-citations, citations per document, etc. Although there are numerous available impact factors and scientific ratings, the most acceptable is one by Thomson Reuters. Leading scientific journals like Nature, science, CA has a rating of more than 30.

Impact factor (IF) calculation has several advantages, being: • The most vital and up to date • The calculation of impact issue is well understood • It provides a tool for managing library journal collections • Gives a gross approximation of the prestige of journals (this is done in conjunction with • Alternative considerations like peer review, productivity, and subject specialty citation rates There are also certain disadvantages associated with Impact Factor: • The journal’s impact issue isn’t essentially representative of the individual journal articles it’s extremely passionate about the number of references per article within the analysis field • Language barriers for journals that aren’t in English

• Selective journal self – citation • Expensive costs for access to databases • Citations of papers in journals aren’t in correlation with the standard of the journal and • Even less with the scientific quality of the paper • Journals that are less obtainable to readers can almost ne’er come through the next impact issue regardless of the standard of papers it publishes • Leading to a reduction in the popularity of newly established and local journals with lesser impact factors The use of journal IF to live the standard and impact of individual papers is invalid from a statistical point of view. The high Impact Factor of selective journals results from their ability to draw in many papers that are terribly cited. However, the publication venue could be a poor predictor of the number of times that an article is going to be cited. Thus, for many authors, the advantages of publication in high-IF journals result in a lot of from their association with different papers within the same journal that happens to be extremely cited than from their own extraordinary content.

been compared to a medical condition, typically mentioned as “IF mania” or “impactitis.”

Arturo Casadevall and Ferric C. Fang advise 5 measures to fight this “IF-Mania” malady: (i) to diversify journal club selections, (ii) not to judge science on the publication venue, (iii) to reduce the reliance on journal citation metrics for employment and advancement, (iv) to discuss the misuse of the IF in ethics courses, and (v) to cite the foremost acceptable sources.

A news in 2013 grabbed the attention of masses, when Randy Schekman, a US biologist who won the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine of that year stated that his lab would not send research papers to the highest-impact journals, Nature, Cell and Science. Schekman said pressure to publish in “luxury” journals inspired researchers to chop corners and pursue fashionable fields of science rather than doing a lot of necessary work.

According to him, the matter is further worsened, by editors who weren’t active scientists but professionals In different words, publication in a who favored studies that were doubtvery high-Impact Factor journal is less to form a splash. also easier than manufacturing extremely cited work.

The prestige of appearing in the major journals has caused the Chinese The journal Impact Factor exerts an amazing influence on the conduct of scientists. The obsession with IF has Next Page>>>>

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Academy of Sciences to pay surefire authors the equivalent of $30,000 (£18,000). Some researchers created 1/2 their financial gain through such “bribes”, Schekman said.

Schekman, who himself is the editor of eLife, an online journal, accused Nature, Cell, and Science for imitating fashion designers who create limited-edition handbags, by restricting the number of papers they accept.

Not only the Nobel Laureates but listening to the views of the overall scientific community, one will realize that young researchers are more interested in citation count and h-index than impact factor. Citation indexes were originally designed for data retrieval, they’re progressively used for

bibliometrics and alternative studies involving research analysis. Citation information is additionally the idea of the favored journal impact issue. The impact issue (IF) of a journal may be alive reflective of the average range of citations to recent articles published in the journal. It is often used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal in its field, with journals with higher impact factors deemed to be additionally vital than those with lower ones. The h-index is an associated index that makes an attempt to measure both the productivity and impact of the research work of a scholar. The index relies on the set of the scientist’s most cited papers and also the range of citations that they have received in alternative publications. The index can even be applied

to the productivity and impact of a bunch of scientists, like a department or university or country, as well as a scholarly journal.

The citation count will automatically increase if the research paper follows ethical guidelines and contains all the relevant information. It will draw the attention of researchers, even if it is not a part of a high impact journal.

Try improving the quality of your manuscript by: • Being focussed on the topic • Giving a detailed analysis of the research work in hand • Including novel available methods (you can even design a new method and get it patented) • Giving detailed research proto-

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col for reference by others • Providing support data (pictures, diagrams, flow charts, tables) • Relating wisely with an already existing problem and suggesting a valid solution to that • Take requisite time to complete your work in an elaborate manner Ultimately the whole and sole of research are to give some piece of information which can be used by others to develop something which is going to bear fruits. There is no use of such ground-breaking research that wins the Nobel Prize and gets published in Cell, Nature, Science, without any societal significance.

Top 10 Survival Strategies for Freshers in Biotech Sector Biotechnology is one of the booming sectors today, however, we find a lot of qualified students facing difficulty in establishing their careers in this field.

IN ORDER TO CURB THE SITUATION, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE INDUSTRY DESIRES AND WHAT SUSTAINS A HUMAN RESOURCE IN THEIR CAREER.

By Rashmi Sanyal

For a lot of students pursuing science, the goal usually is to become a doctor or an engineer but very few minds are focussed right from the start towards parascience or technology. Biotechnology is a field that allows human intervention in creating novel technologies and products to aid humankind.

To sustain in any field, one requires to have patience. As soon as you take up a career, you will find a lot of rejections, hard choices to make or below satisfactory response. The trick is to be patient and observant. As soon as the right opportunity creeps in, one must jump at it with full effort.

One must remain vigilant at all times and continuously analyze the market trends, so as to reap maximum benefit at the right time. Here are some tips that will help you survive the first few difficult years in the field of Biotechnology.

the initial struggle remains confined to the decision of Top 10 Survival Strategies for Freshers in Biotech Sectorpursuing research, education or industrial exposure. Once this phase is crossed one must search for the right opportunity by doing a lot of background research into their field of interest. For example, a lot of freshers lose out on time, energy and interest amidst changing fields and careers. If one is focussed from the start, it is easier to chalk out a career and struggle towards achieving their passion, their dream.

For instance, if one decides to pursue the industrial field, one must chase the Make the right decision As a fresher in the Biotech sector, multinational companies like L’oreal, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche etc or indig-

enous companies like Reliance, Tata Research, Biocon etc. This will help build a stable and strong profile. If they wish to stay in the education line, best to start preparing early and complete a Ph.D degree while at it. Look for opportunities in reputed institutes and universities and start preparing for the interviews straight away.

Constant skill development The second important task is to continuously upgrade your knowledge and skills. For example, if you wish to remain in research, it is expected that you must learn novel methods that can help hasten your project completion. It is also important to read a lot

of scientific work and keep yourself updated with the latest ongoings and current findings. Scientists would prefer associating with those students who can bring novel ideas to the forum and suggest efficient, accurate and faster methods of experiments.

Techniques like CRISPR, NGS, DNA Fingerprinting, HPLC are in great demands in various institutes and companies. There are a lot of courses available in our country that can train a student on using these techniques efficiently. When caught in a race with multiple candidates, the one knowing the most relevant skills will definitely

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be preferred over the others.

A lot of companies also prefer linguistic abilities, since our industry may require a lot of article writing to be done or multinational companies may require to send their employees across the globe. In these scenarios being fluent in multiple languages or having a good hold over certain desired languages will prove to be an asset. You must also train yourself in scientific writing, since publishing your research in renowned journals indicates that both the technique used and the language must be novel and of a high standard.

It is often said that you may be paid better in a job that you are not satisfied in doing and may be paid less in a job of your choice. But the effort that you will have to put in the former will be much higher than the one where you will work out of your will and interest.

Innovate and be an entrepreneur Fifth, never be afraid to try establishing an idea of your own. Fresh out of college, your mind might be brimming with ideas and inspirations. Set aside 6 months or a year in planning the same, gather the capital and begin your own venture. It may be as simple Defend your work in an interview as cultivating edible mushrooms in your backyard and selling them for a Third, you must be completely con- living !! fident and aware of whatever task, project or skill you claim to know. Being an entrepreneur is satisfying Since given an opportunity you must as you are able to pursue your pasbe able to defend your work in an sion as well as are able to generate interview or group discussion. This employment for other freshers along proves your integrity and confidence with you. In case you are unable to do along with your skill. the task alone, try to go in for partnerships among your friend circle. Your Nobody is a better judge of your friend circles will have definitely have work other than yourself. If you are like-minded people and they will help able to prove this to the interview pan- you gather more ideas from various el (in a polite manner), you will sure- inputs suggested by them. The trick in ly be worthy of their praise. When a entrepreneurship is to BEGIN !! student falters in answering questions pertaining to his/her own claimed Build a strong network work, it raises suspicion on their credibility. Hence, be very thorough about Sixth, to survive in the industry, neteverything you claim to know. How- working is very essential. Employever, it is wise to remember that not ers and Institutes rely on credibility. everyone may know everything and it Your skills and abilities can be proved is not wrong to accept if you are una- when there are people to refer you. ble to answer any question. The trick An experienced individual will have is to show your eagerness to learn. a reference from his past employers, One important point to note in this however, for a fresher, the reference regard is that you must never misrep- begins from his educational institutes resent your qualifications. A lot of itself. It is important for you to at least companies may select you by your have 3 referees while preparing your claims in the CV, but in the long run, curriculum vitae. Your behavior and you may get caught in the background skills must make people remember check or interview, and that will be you wherever you go. Hence, always a huge setback for your career. One try to do your best in any institute that must be true to their own self and you associate yourself with. In the their workplace. future, they will help you in building your career.

Follow your passion for selecting the field of interest A lot of times maintaining contact with your peers may help you get exFourth, never undermine any career posed to new opportunities in your choice. For example, if you wish to fields. You will be able to see the cateach but feel that the education field reer changes that your colleagues are does not supplement well monetarily, making and the impact that it is havyou will be at loss. Find a way that ing. This will help you analyze your helps you stay associated with the prospects first hand. In certain cases, field and earn well at the same time. you may also collaborate with your It requires research into the avenue. A friends and complete short courses or lot of government colleges offer en- projects which can help both of you trance examination linked permanent grow. You can also have publications appointments with a regular pay in- in collaboration with your contact. crease that has a respectable amount The key is to be of help, to get help to offer. Try choosing them. in return.

Upgrade your CV to fit the right career Seventh most important thing is to highlight the right kind of details in your profile. For example, while approaching an educational institute do not focus on your management skills, try to focus more on your knowledgeability, example a paper publication written byyou, or classes that you may have conducted during your education, or any teaching ability related degree etc. Even some institutes prefer the educator to be strong in extra-curricular activities as well !! Showcase the certificates that you may have for dance, drama or art. If there is a specific field or institute that you would want to associate with, begin designing your CV accordingly by getting trained in their required skills. Complete certifications as early as possible.

Highlight them in a positive manner.

However, do remember, a good CV is quite informative in the least amount of words used. Try not to write pages altogether, the content might not even be read !!

Hands-on skills and Internships Eighth, it is always good to begin with internships in organizations. In the Biotech sector, a lot of preference is given to people with handson skills and abilities. To gather the same, begin internship programs during your college days itself. You may also participate in summer internship programs during your session break.

This allows you to build network and skills. Some internships are offered along with a stipend. Remember to collect the certificates to prove your association !!

For example, Biotech Consortium India Limited offers a Biotech Industrial Training Programme (BITP) which has an interview through which the selected candidates are offered a paid training program to train the students with industry based skills.

The stipend is Rs 10,000/- offered for 6 months. Once the students qualify through this period, they become ready to acquire permanent positions in the company if selected.

Increase awareness Usually, freshers have very little guidance, to begin with. As and when they begin their struggle period, they get acquainted with various companies, profiles, institutes, programs etc. One usually skims through the most sought-after jobs/companies, but very few broaden their horizons.

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The more names you learn, the more avenues you have open for yourself.

Example there are over 900 pharma companies in India, however, we can name hardly 20. That is how people miss out on opportunities. A company grows with the right kind of talent that can be fulfilled by a lot of individuals who get disheartened by their first few rejections. The trick is to remain aware and keep eyes open and fixed onto each and every website/avenues possible. This will allow you to keep track of multiple interviews happening across the country.

Choose the correct City If you would have been in the finance industry, cities like Mumbai, Gurgaon etc would have been perfect to settle in. One must choose their career location in the region where it has the highest demand and is able to generate maximum employment.

For example, R&Ds dominate the South and Western India, pharmaceuticals dominate the Eastern India etc.

Choose cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and you will find it easy to grow your career as there are a wide range of opportunities in the Biotech field offered by the cities. You must select the work profile that you wish to serve in and then keep a track of the companies that offer such positions. For example, if you wish to be working on small molecule development, try to approach companies like Biocon, Dr. Reddy’s Lab, Wockhardt, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited. In case you are willing, you may also look for opportunities abroad. United States, Germany, Australia offer a lot of research opportunities in the fields of Pharmaceutical, Bio-IT etc. Biotechnology is of great demand in any country and state, since every human depends on it for their development.

Career choice is an individual’s own decision. In every path that we choose, there will be rises and rejections. The key is to remain patient and vigilant.

As a fresher, do not restrict yourself to opportunities. Try approaching as many companies and institutes as possible, sit for as many interviews as you can. They will help groom you and make you a stronger candidate for your future attempts. There are a lot of opportunities in Biotech, the only trouble is we do not know where and how to look for them !!

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Why Biotech Freshers, Life Science Freshers Don’t get a Job Easily?

This question keeps coming to me every now and then. A lot of people who look for jobs at Biotecnika website have this principal question in mind, Why Biotech freshers don’t get a job? or rather Why Freshers don’t get a job readily?

BEFORE I GET TO THE CRUX OF THIS QUESTION, I WILL TRY TO ANSWER YOU IN ONE LINE IF YOU HAVE LESS TIME! BIOTECH FRESHERS DON’T GET A JOB BECAUSE THEY WERE NEVER PREPARED FOR A JOB.

By Shekhar Suman

All this while they have prepared for the university exams, Internal exams but they actually were never prepared for a job.

So it’s like you have been trying to grow an apple tree, How can you get an orange from it. According to me, this question should not be like why biotech freshers don’t get a job rather we should say, Why any fresher from any stream, in general, don’t get a job so easily?

I hope I am clear it’s not just the Biotech freshers or Life science freshers it’s everywhere in every industry that freshers think its very very difficult to get a job. Its the first time they’re trying it so they feel that it is difficult. So here are a few key points to note before you jump for a job search in the Biotech field after completing your bachelors or masters degree.

1. Most of the Indian students are busy preparing for their engineering entrance or medical entrance exam, busy covering the entire entrance exam syllabus & solving a lot of multiple choice questions. In this rat race of competition, some clear the exam and some do not. The ones who don’t qualify these exams take admission in Biotech. While they could never really focus on the concepts which were being taught in the class in 12th, same happens during their bachelor’s! This disillusionment leads to a lot of problems and when they have completed their masters or bachelors they find it difficult to get a job as in interviews basic conceptual questions are also asked, which they fail to answer.

2. Life science field is pretty huge.

It’s highly diverse with a lot of specialization & branches. There is Life Science and under it comes Applied Life sciences. That means you have various subjects to choose from and

each subject is itself a field. Let’s take mechanical Why Biotech Freshers, Life Science Freshers Don’t get a Job Easily?engineering for an example.

It just means mechanical engineering. If I say electrical engineering it is electrical engineering! But when I say Life science it means Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Evolution, ecology, and the list continues. Newer fields are also being added at a rapid rate based on scientific advancements & latest research. What I am trying to say here is, you need to pick up the subjects you want to specialize in your Bachelors & masters very carefully. It should be a combination of both what you like to study and its scope. From the term scope I mean, how huge is the industry, Job prospects, recent advancements etc. You might say now who does so much research & planning for studying, but my dear friend you must. Life is a chain of events and they are interrelated, if you fail to plan & prioritize from your bachelors itself, there is no way you can land up with a Job just after completing your studies.

3. Next point on which I would like to focus on is the lack of suitable upscaling institutes. Most of the Universities & Colleges prepare their students to qualify the university exams and not beyond that. Hence the students end up just preparing for their degree exam. And that is what I iterated in the first point. You are always preparing for your university exam & worried about internal marks. So obviously you will qualify

for your university exam and be a topper too, but that does not certify you to get a job. Of course getting good marks in the university exams matters but you have to make sure that simultaneously you are conquering all the concepts taught in class and become a master of it. Spare out some time, talk to your professors and explore how you can enhance your overall skills. To get a job you need to have skills which others don’t have. Be it communication skills, body language skills, or technical skills related to the job you are applying for. Thus Lack of upscaling institutes is a very important point here. More such institutes should come up which would make students job-ready right after they finish their degree course.

4. Ignorance among the students.

You would say that’s not true, but I have proofs. Being in the industry for the past 15 years I have experienced this. Even though students have Why Biotech Freshers, Life Science Freshers Don’t get a Job Easily?access to all the skill set, they are ignorant.

They are ignorant about their future, their career. They really don’t want to think beyond 4 pm when the class or lab gets over and they just rush towards the canteen or their room. In fact, many a time whenever I had a workshop or a conference after 3 pm, few students would turn up because they all would have run away! I know you must be thinking now, shouldn’t you enjoy your college life a bit? Yes, you must, I will say! But learn to plan & prioritize things first. These are the stepping stones of your career, be a

little cautious & vigilant.

5. Copycat Resumes! Aaaah I am not in a mood to go to the lab today, let’s go for a movie. Notes ka kya karenge? Its ok we will copy it from the class topper, he or she will be there in the lab na! This is what happens in every class, in every college. Tell me if I am wrong! The Why Biotech Freshers, Life Science Freshers Don’t get a Job Easily?class topper has got this design of resume. So let me have it the same way, definitely, I will get a job like him or her. No two humans are genetically identical you must have read it. Both of you are different, how can your resume be the same.

Remember your five or seven years of education in the life sciences industry is to be summarized in just two pieces of paper. So it has to be different. There has to be some uniqueness, unique selling proposition to attract the recruiters. So please stop copying resumes. And to make your resumes distinct add skill sets & internship experiences which is my next point.

6. Lack of Life Science internship opportunities! More Number of Internship opportunities should be provided to bachelors & masters students. This will not only give them a glimpse of the real research world out of the college campus but will also make them understand the difference in between their lab work in

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college and the work done on an industrial scale. Unless they know this difference they will never become job ready. Students must also be on a constant lookout for such internship opportunities bet it paid or unpaid.

Loads of Internship opportunities are posted on Biotecnika website which can be taken up during your semester breaks. An internship is something like one step behind your job.

7. Most of the students either lose interest in their study by the end of the course or they switch to other fields. This all happens due to lack of guidance. I’m sure this is being plugged partially now by Biotecnika. However, to date I see a lot of students are still not on the internet, hence they are unaware of the latest advances. They don’t get proper guidance. Thus they end up taking guidance from people who haven’t themselves updated their knowledge in the past 20 years. Life science industry changes every hour. So you need to keep checking the internet, keep reading journals, you need to keep yourself updated and seek proper guidance from the experts to get ahead in your career. If you walk side by side with the latest advancements in the Biotech & Life Science field, you will be aware beforehand which field is booming, Where more jobs are there and accordingly you can plan.

8. The next point on which I want to emphasize is Networking. While you are in your bachelors you have a different set of people surrounding you and same is with your master’s degree. In both bachelors & masters, you will be interacting with your classmates, colleagues, professors but that’s not enough. The journey with them will end as soon as the course finishes. You need to start interacting with people who are already in the industry, scientists, researchers, or maybe your seniors who are working in some labs already. The moment you broaden your reach of people, you are exposed to different scenarios. References while attending interviews, always helps. So you must start building your network as soon as you are in the bachelors final year or latest by the first year of your masters.

9. Now we must understand the difference in between a B.sc/B.tech fresher, a M.sc/ M.tech Fresher and a Ph.D. fresher. A Bachelor fresher can do a lot of nonspecific lab work, but will always remain at a lower pay scale. A candidate with Master’s degree in life sciences can get into the research industry at junior research associate level and can slowly climb up the ladder and get to the lead Sci-

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entist position. If you have a certification or prior internship experience it will be a lot easier. In this case, as well you will have to start at a lower pay scale.

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However, a Ph.D. candidate has an added advantage of directly getting either into Academia or the Research Industry with a good pay package. If you want to get into Academia a Post Doc will be helpful but for Industry a Ph.D. degree alone is sufficient. If Ph.D. is done from a CSIR lab, it will be even better and more valuable.

So I hope I was able to answer all your questions regarding Why Biotech Freshers, Life Science Freshers Don’t get a Job Easily?

To summarize, A Biotech Fresher or a Life Science Fresher Does not a Job Easily because they were never prepared for a job.

Start analyzing the points mentioned above, read in between the lines. It will definitely help you land up with a high paying job. But remember you need to be consistent! You need to be persistent! You need to work hard & Smart! While applying for a job read the job description carefully and analyze what is required and prepare your CV & yourself according to it.

Improve your communication skills, learn how to talk confidently during an interview. Seek guidance from experts and not from people who have not updated their knowledge in the past 20 years. All the best & Have a great day ahead!

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Valuable Skills That You Can Add During & After M.sc & Ph.D. Have you ever come to a point where you fell out of the PhD-industry gap? It’s the gap that takes place between a Ph.D. training and the expectations brought about the corporate world in terms of hiring candidates who are much more industry-friendly.

WE ALL KNOW THIS FACT: THE FIRST JOB YOU LAND AFTER GRADUATE SCHOOL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AT THE SAME TIME THE TOUGHEST.

By Preety Suman

Thus, it is just fitting that you keep yourself aware of all the possible options especially that the odds are mostly not in your favors. That’s the problem most PhDs who wish to enter the corporate industry have: people look at them as an academic who is only good in terms of bench science.

Thankfully, it is not too late for you.

You don’t have to be one of these many PhDs who feel stuck with where they are. You have that potential to grow outside of the Ph.D. industry. It takes a lot of guts but you can do it. With determination, leadership capabilities, the right amount of personality and interpersonal skills, and the ability to work well in a team environment, you’ve got high chances of making it into the industry more possible.

firm. Whichever of these you might consider, know that it’s better to start as early as you can.

So if you can, do freelance consulting work during your Ph.D., and you might just land into a management consulting position after completion of your degree. If not, then you just need to be resourceful and patient.

What consultation services will you provide? That’s the easy part. All you need to do is identify a skillset or two In addition to the academic & sci- that you are really go and offer those entific skills you have gained during services. your Masters & Ph.D. if you have additional skills, it will not only be an Doing this would not only earn you add-on for your resume but also you those extra bucks but also give you can use a combination of all the skills the opportunity to build your portfoand sail through your career smooth- lio, harness your skills, and make a ly. name for your own in the industry.

If you are looking for the best field to Every person’s career path is paved provide your consulting services, then in its own way. You just have to fig- consider management consulting. It is ure out how, and this article will do the best place to put your analytical just that. Hopefully, if you haven’t and scientific training into practice figured it out yet, these solutions will while developing and harnessing your help you find your calling. business expertise. In the long run, if innovation, change, and success are Consider Consulting on your priority list, then there are higher chances that your career path Believe it or not, but there are mul- will be head that way too. Through tiple opportunities for consulting that management consulting, you get to are up for the taking for scientists if learn how to lead teams, manage peoonly they are willing to go that path. ple, and tackle problems. Scientific You can start by providing freelance Skills + Management Skills, its the consulting services, share the scien- secret mantra to get top-notch Job in tific knowledge you have and make the Industry. On top of it all, you get the most of out it. to create professional relationships with top businessmen who will pave If you have the resources and the way for you in the future. Who enough willpower, you might even knows, they might even absorb you want to take it a notch higher and in the company long before you have open up your very own consulting graduated. Now, landing a job after

graduation will no longer be a problem.

Take on a summer internship Internships are always a good idea, whether you are an undergraduate or working your way towards that Ph.D. Ideally, a paid internship will be like hitting the jackpot. You get paid, you gain experience, and you’re able to help with the financial side of it. Also, always try to remember the fact that internships are CRUCIAL. So use your summers wisely – do your best to have as many internship gigs as you can in the entirety of your graduate or post-doc education. If you can’t commit full time to an internship, try to balance it with your graduate school and obtain industry experience. This will prepare you for what’s to come and will give you a glimpse of the real-world industry. Plus, you gain some marketable skills. Now, you have a leverage and can use it to your advantage.

Most industry companies nowadays are willing to let you become a part of their companies as interns. Of course, like any other real-world job, the spark can be seen in your informational interviews. So be sure to ace that or give it your best shot. If accepted, and if they actually like you, then they might offer you a position ready for your acceptance upon graduation.

Always remember that just because internship positions aren’t usually announced doesn’t mean they do not

exist. Sometimes, all you have to do is ask, research, and do some legwork. You’ll be amazed by what you will find.

Consider auditing or taking classes and workshops not related to your expertise To have the best of both worlds, you need to work hard in order to get it.

In Simple terms, if you are someone who is inclined to the science, then it’s time to go out of your comfort zone. It’s time to explore other fields which can be an add-on to your existing skill.T he important thing is you expand your connection, your knowledge, and your skillset. You can either study patent law, Food Safety Laws, learn about the latest information and technology like CRISPR, Next-Gen Sequencing, Stem Cell Research, take Bioinformatics classes and learn about the programming languages and how you can use it in your existing research, study the basics of computer programming or enroll in entrepreneurial classes. All these will depend on you and your interests.

I know now you will say, where do I have time? I am totally into my Ph.D.!

Well, if you want to stand out of the crowd and be in the top list of recruiters, you must take out time! Just apply some time management tricks and of course, willpower will solve it all. If you’re not sure about it yet, there are

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professors who will allow you to sit in their class. Maybe you can start with this and see if this sparks any interest on your side. If not, do it all over again in another class until you find the right one. The bottom line here is to look beyond your horizon.

Start Something on the side It doesn’t matter what it is. It could be a small R&D business, a product you’ve made from scratch, or anything else. The important thing is that you do start something that might help you in the future.

ship of your dreams and gain that marketable skills you need in the industry. Networking can also be the pebbles for you to land that job in the future, after your Ph.D. In other words, the network in order to create opportunities and relationships, in order to learn and to gain experience. Network so that you’ll develop those marketable skills and to get that industry position. It might not be an overnight thing but it is truly useful and beneficial. You don’t have to stop doing it too!

Just look at it this way! How would you know important people, learn Network as much as you can. new skills, or gain knowledge if you Networking with professionals and don’t ask, let alone talk, to people? like-minded people has a lot of ben- How will you get to understand what efits. It can help you land the intern- a company if you don’t build net-

works? The network is also difficult in the beginning. The more people you network with, the easier it becomes.

At the end of the day, you only have these to ponder. You are the only one that is capable of creating opportunities for yourself. So go ahead and do any or all of the above-mentioned solutions. If you can do all of it, then the better. If not, just take it one at a time. Chances are you will land a job in industry and work in a fulfilling career. Nothing worth having comes easy, or so they say.

As Donald Asher, author of Cracking the Hidden Job Market, says: “You get a job by talking to people: You don’t get a job by having a great resume, a good interview look, a firm

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handshake, or a solid education. You get a job because you get in front of somebody and they decide to add you to the payroll. Most job seekers look for jobs by talking to computer software. It’s faster to talk to people. People are more likely to pass you along than computers are. Computers are picky. People are helpful.”

Just continue pushing yourself to the limits until you start seeing good things come your way. Trust the process. It might be tough, but it works.

All the best.

If you are in need of more such career advice then do visit our career advice section on the website.

7 Expert Tips on How to Write a Killer Resume So you’ve finally completed your degree and now you’re very excited to get your dream career. After all, you’ve done quite a lot of achievements during your academic years and have efficiently gained experience from your chosen field.

BUT WAIT…HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT HOW YOU’RE GOING TO PUT TOGETHER ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK IN JUST ONE PAPER?

By Preety Suman

Admit it, job seekers have always needed to make an impression on hiring managers. Before applying to your dream job, here are expert tips on how to write a resume that says, “Hey, why to waste time on other resumes when you’re looking at the right one?”

Knowing one or two of these tips will be a total game changer. So here we go… eye-catching and unforgettable. This is why choosing a good template Tip #1: Choose a professional, can increase your chances of getting yet eye-catching design for your re- shortlisted. sume using pre-designed templates.

What is your USP defines what kind of job you can get. The uniqueness of your personalities cannot be depicted by similar looking CV’s? You are genetically unique, so how can your resume look similar to others, If you want to get hired, take this point very very seriously.

Of course, it’s important to match your template with a good font that looks good on both screen and paper.

Use bold and italic prints sparingly.

You can print them in color without being too weird like Elle’s resume.

Tip #2: Format your resume in a reverse-chronological order or with the most important detail on top.

If you think about Resume Templates, they are the best metaphor Sadly, you’re not the only one vyfor making a standout resume. A vis- ing for your dream position. There ually appealing resume is absolutely are thousands of other job applicants

whose resumes are in the hands of hiring managers. So the first few parts of your resume are extremely crucial.

They can either make or break your dream.

So place all necessary details on the top such as your name, contact, and e-mail. Before your mailing address, you can place your LinkedIn permalink and while you’re at it, make sure your LinkedIn is updated.

According to experts, the majority of professionals are now on LinkedIn. Having a LinkedIn account gives you an edge over other applicants who don’t have any.

Then, you can start talking about your job experience. List your most recent position first, working backward to previous positions while considering those that are most relevant to the position you’re applying. Your educational attainment can come at the bottom. Unless you’re applying in the academe where educational history can be given significance.

Tip #3: Beat the resume bots and algorithms through SEO-friendly content.

Huge companies do not have time

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to scan through hundreds of resumes The key is to focus on the skills every day. So they have bots to do it that the company needs. Soft skills for them. like leadership, communication, and good negotiation skills are certainly Unfortunately, bots only filter re- OK to add in moderation. But always sume based on keywords while elim- remember to be more selective with inating badly written resumes. So what you add. here’s what you’re going to do. Re- Tip #5: Walk the talk rather than search for popular keywords that you just narrating them in your resume. can use in your resume. For example, if you’re applying for the position of a Some things are better shown than marketing professional, then you can written. Companies don’t like lengthy use at least three related keywords to resumes, especially if you’re just improve the visibility of your resume. bragging all your successes in there.

Then, make sure that your spelling and grammar are topnotch. You can have your resume reviewed through online grammar checkers or ask help from professionals. Remember, your resume is a one-way ticket to your dream job so don’t waste any chance to make it perfect.

So save the rest of your skills when you’re finally hired. But for your resume, you can focus on results-oriented experiences. For example, instead of narrating a long list of skills, think about how you can validate those skills.

You can add relevant statistics, budget plan samples, or client growth Tip #4: Create a resume that is co- report. It’s easier to convince a comherent to the job you’re applying. pany that you’re good when you can show proof of good results.

Okay, so this is where most job seekers usually stumble. Just because Tip #6: Be selective with the skillyou’re too good at something, doesn’t set, experience, and other informamean a company will hire you for it. tion that you’re going to put in your resume.

For example, if the company is looking for a Marketing Professional, you As I said before, there are skills that can’t talk about how good you are in you need to prioritize and let go. The research and coding. No one will be criteria depend on the position you’re interested in skills that are not related applying. to the position you’re applying.

Clearly identify the set of skills that

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you can bring to a target job. These skills should serve as your core competencies and your edge over other candidates. Mention specific and technical skills if necessary. For example, if you’re applying for a lab technician you can mention that you’re good at clinical testing and specimen analysis. Then provide examples of past jobs where you’ve applied your skills.

Today, you have to think like a marketer wherein you have to sell yourself. Unless you’re applying for a very traditional company, you can ditch the old-fashioned summary statements and do something like:

Narrow down your list to just three or five skills. The more crowded your resume looks, the more likely the recruiter will get bored.

“I sold 60 percent of the products at my last company in just one month.

I’d like to do that again for you or even more.”

Be sharp in placing other details too.

The school and date when you graduated elementary and high school are probably the last things that your prospective employer will think. So you can set these details at low priority.

Lastly, you don’t have to place your social media pages unless they are crucial to your application.

When backed with rich details in your resume, this statement becomes a magnetic field. It ignites curiosity among hiring managers which will result in more attention to your resume.

Tip #7: Add an intriguing tagline to your resume.

The last but not the least is to place an interesting tagline about yourself.

This will serve as an elevator pitch about why you’re the best candidate for the job.

Traditional resumes usually begin with a summary statement that reads, “Seeking to become a valuable mem-

ber of the marketing team in your company.” Sadly, after so many years this sort of statements have become quite boring.

Writing a resume is a drag. But it shouldn’t be that difficult. The final key is to ask yourself this question: “What makes you uniquely valuable to the company that you’re applying?”

This question, along with the tips here will guide you to write the killer resume that will make hiring managers notice you. So if you’re applying for a job today, bring out those advantages and make your resume rock!

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