What You'll Do

  • Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
  • Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.
  • Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work.
  • Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences.
  • Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities.
  • Develop or test new drugs or medications intended for commercial distribution.
  • Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer or other diseases.
  • Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes.
  • Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death.
  • Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.

Essential Skills

Science 4.75/5
Reading Comprehension 4.38/5
Writing 4.25/5
Critical Thinking 4.25/5
Active Listening 4.12/5
Speaking 4.12/5
Active Learning 4.12/5
Complex Problem Solving 4.12/5
Learning Strategies 4.0/5
Judgment and Decision Making 4.0/5
Mathematics 3.88/5
Monitoring 3.88/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Integrity, Analytical Thinking, Persistence, Attention to Detail, Achievement/Effort

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Written Comprehension 4.25/5
Written Expression 4.25/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.25/5
Oral Comprehension 4.12/5
Oral Expression 4.12/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.0/5
Information Ordering 4.0/5
Category Flexibility 4.0/5

Technologies & Tools

3D graphics software Accelrys Cerius2 Accelrys FELIX Accelrys Insight II Accelrys QAUNTA Adobe Photoshop Analysis and building software Assisted model building with energy refinement AMBER AutoQuant AutoDeblur Basic Local Alignment Search Tool BLAST Carrier-mediated transport software Chang Bioscience ToolKit ChemInnovation Software Chem 4-D Chemistry at Harvard Molecular Mechanics CHARMm Crystallography & NMR System (CNS) Crystallography software Dassault Systemes Abaqus Docking and ligand binding software Elsevier MDL ISIS/Draw Email software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Integrity (High importance: 4.95/5)
  • Analytical Thinking (High importance: 4.9/5)
  • Persistence (High importance: 4.85/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.75/5)
  • Achievement/Effort (High importance: 4.6/5)

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How to Become One

This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Analytical Research Chemist Biochemist Biochemistry Scientist Biological Chemist Biophysicist Biophysics Researcher Clinical Biochemist Clinical Laboratory Scientist Clinical Researcher Forensic Toxicologist Formulation Scientist Molecular Biologist Pharmaceutical Scientist Physical Biochemist Protein Biochemist Protein Biochemistry Scientist R&D Scientist (Research and Development Scientist) Research Biochemist Scientist Toxicologist