Gauri Chabbra
Today every other daily soap that you watch on your favorite channel talks about Paternity tests, every food item that you pick up the shelf talks about the ingredients, every test you go through in health care talks not only about the disease but the extent of the disease. Have you ever wondered what makes it possible?
Which is the discipline dealing with all this? Is it a pure science or an applied one? We all know that the cell is the structural unit of living systems. The living cell has chemical constituents that undergo several reactions and procedures. The study of these reactions is called Bio- Chemistry.
Biochemistry involves the study of chemical processes in living organisms and is based on the principles of chemistry, biology, mathematics, genetics and physics.It also encompasses stem cell or genetic research that has the potential to result in dramatic medical or scientific breakthroughs. Today,it has made headway into all aspects of life from health to agriculture to genetics to forensics.
Hence the multifarious career options.
Getting in:
You can start with science in plus two with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. Some universities do offer biochemistry during graduation,B.Sc. Biochemistry .Typically, a B.Sc. is a three year course.Subjects studied under this degree are Chemistry, Biophysics, Mathematics & Statistics, Molecular Biology, Genetics etc.However, it is post graduation that really establishes you as a biochemist. You can opt for a Junior Research Fellowship after MSc by appearing for the UGCCSIR JRF/NET exam.This could lead to a lectureship and a career in research and development, consulting or allied work. Some medical colleges may offer MD Biochemistry open to MBBS graduates. Central Drug Research Institute, Industrial Toxicological Research Institute, National Botanical Research Instituteoffer scope for advanced studies and research.
To become a bio chemist, you need to have problem-solving, research and analytical skills, and curiosity of asking why. You also need to beef up your oral and written communication skills as you may be working as part of a team, write research papers or proposals, and have contact with clients or customers.
Institute Scape:
* Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
* All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
* University of Allahabad, Allahabad
* Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
*University of Delhi, Delhi (www.du.ac.in)
Career Pathways:
Since Bio Chemistry follows an inter disciplinary approach, there are plenty of job openings in health and beauty care, chemical manufacturing, food and drink production, medical instruments and pharmaceutical development.The work environment could be the government, private sector, laboratories, hospitals and other educational and research institutions. Following are the sectors you can go in for:
Food and Beverage Processing:
The food processing sector is geared towards upgrading food processing technologies, improving food quality, and adding value to raw agricultural materials through quality assurance, packaging, and biotechnologies. You can work as Micro Laboratory Technicianwhere you will be responsible for preparing the laboratories daily activities including equipment start-up and lab disinfection while also providing support for the Lab Sample Analysis System through the collection, preparation, and data entry pertinent to tested samples.
Your knowledge of the properties of proteins, fats, starches, and carbohydrates, as well as micro components such as additives and flavorings, can fetch you the job of Food and Flavor Chemist
Where you create different approaches to use ingredients or synthesize new ingredients, such as fat or sugar replacements, while utilizing natural and artificial ingredients to develop flavors in food products.
Clinical Trials:
As a Clinical research associate, you may be responsible for Clinical trials while designing and implementation of a new drug protocol or the use of a new virus for gene therapy. You may have to develop the clinical trials or supervise them. Your work would involve the analysis and evaluation of data from the trials to ensure that clinical protocols were followed.
You may also be identifying the way in which DNA, which carries the genetic information, is transferred between cells and can be manipulated.
Manufacturing:
In the manufacturing sector, you may take the biochemical process developed in the laboratory and scale it up through the pilot plant stage to the full production plant. Besides, you may also be required to determine what instrumentation and equipment are needed and troubleshoot problems in the scale-up procedure.
Health care:
In the health care sector, you can work as a Biostatistician where you design research studies and collect and analyze data on problems – such as how a disease progresses, how safe a new treatment or medication is, or the impact of certain risk factors associated with medical conditions.
Environment Up gradation:
One of the most pressing issues in our society, environmental degradation, is being addressed by biochemists. You may be required to perform improvements in the efficiency of photosynthesis to increase crop yields, bioremediation of polluted soils, development of new feed-stocks, chemistries for the production of biofuels, genetic mapping of ecosystems to monitor biodiversity, and methodologies for boosting biological capture of carbon.
Research and Education:
In case you qualify the NET, you can avail the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) scheme.The Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) scheme of the University Grants Commission (UGC) is open to candidates who qualify in the National Education Testing (NET) of the UGC and the UGC-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) joint test. However, these are qualifying tests only and do not bestow a fellowship upon the candidate. The objective of the JRF scheme is to provide opportunities to NET-qualified candidates to undertake advanced studies and research leading to M.Phil./Ph.D. degrees.
The tenure of fellowship is initially for two years and before expiry of this period, the work of the fellow will beevaluated by a Committee of three members comprising of Head of the Department, Supervisor and one outside subjectexpertto be constituted by the concerned Department of the University/Institution. If the research work is found satisfactory, his tenure will be extended further for a period of three years under the enhanced emoluments of the JRF.
The rate of fellowship for JRF and SRF are at par with the UGC Fellowship as amended from time to time.Presently these rates are as follows:
Fellowship @ Rs. 16,000/- per month for initial two years (JRF.) and @ Rs.18,000/- per month for remaining tenure (SRF). Contingency for Science @ Rs. 12,000/- per annum for initial two years and @ Rs. 25,000/- per annum for remaining three years. Besides, there is also a provision of Escorts/Reader Assistance @ Rs. 2,000/- per month in case of physically and visually challenged candidates. The House Rent allowance, HRA is as per the rules of the your University/Institute .
The Road Ahead:
Renuka Malhotra, Assistant Professor Dept. of Bio Chemistry, DAV College Jalandhar, says,” The future belongs to Bio Chemistry. Today, it has made inroads in many other, less obvious, aspects of our society. It is increasingly being used in forensics by Law enforcement agencies to provide evidence in investigations. Besides, it is used by archaeologists as genetic and isotopic investigations of our ancestral remains are illuminating much of human history and pre-history.
It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the role biochemistry plays in all our lives. For all those who wish to script a career in Bio chemistry, many amazing and transformational pathways lie ahead…”
For queries contact gauri_nagpal @yahoo.com
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