I work in a molecular biology lab that researches single nucleotide polymorphisms in human DNA using our microarray technology for the sake of biomedical and pharmaceutical advancement.

EDUCATION | BS in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz.

HOW TO GET STARTED | Make sure that you attend a school that focuses on research. Learning laboratory skills is one thing, but more important is the ability to use these techniques as tools to further your knowledge. Also, internships and part-time work is a good way to get a feel for the job at hand.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | steady hands, patience, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, organized, ability to work cooperatively in a group setting.

how I got started | In college I held many positions in the lab besides actual laboratory requirements for my major. I had a part-time laboratory assistant position at Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc as well as a year-long internship with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. These two positions helped me hone my technical skills and as well as show me the difference between industrial and academic aspects of research. It was very difficult trying to balance my job, internship, and full course load however it was a great experience in the long run. Hard work is the key to success and it made me realize that I wanted to get in the industry after I graduated. I heard of the company in college and I applied once I graduated and got the job!

why this job?| I have always been fascinated by science, in particular, biology on the micro scale and learning about the subject in the classroom just wasn't enough. I wanted to be more proactive about it and spend more hands on time discovering things within the subject.

why I love this job!| Great work benefits, working with very interesting and ground-breaking technology, and the satisfaction of knowing that I'm participating in the advancement of biomedical sciences for the sake of treating, diagnosing, and curing diseases.

my typical day| Our workflow is completely dependent on the availability of projects that are presented to us from the sales/marketing team. Therefore, our workload can vary from day-to-day. Most days are spent doing wet lab work and running the actual genotyping assays for our clients. Other days are spent doing inventory management, internal document revisions and reviews, training people on the assays, quality control analysis, troubleshooting, and (of course) the weekly group meetings.

what they are | Performing molecular biology experiments requires a lot of planning. Human resources, availability of regents and enzymes for the experiments, and availability of lab equipment are some of many things that need to be considered even before a project can start. This can be difficult and there is a lot of organization that goes on before hand.

all about growth | There is tons of potential for growth in this career. Besides growth within the lab, it is very common for lab workers to venture more into the business side of the industry to pursue positions in marketing, sales, and support. Also, many employers encourage their employees to pursue further education, and in many instances, will assist in paying for it.

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