A lot of our colleagues are interested in bioinformatics and data science. While it is clear that bioinformatics is important, even essential, in modern biology research, there is the question about the levels of programming and computer skills needed for different jobs. I'm not going to answer that question here. Instead I'm going to focus on one end of the ... Read more
One of the themes of the recent @synbiobeta #sbbsf17 annual meeting (Oct 4,5 2017) was the impact of synthetic biology on making new things or making old things in new ways. From cement to food, synthetic biology is causing people to rethink the way things are made. One of the most interesting ideas is the notion of using synthetic biology ... Read more
@synbiobeta concluded it’s #sbbsf17 annual meeting on synthetic biology Oct 5, 2017. The progress companies are making in harnessing biology as a platform for manufacturing and problem solving is world changing.
What is Synthetic Biology?
Synthetic biology is a term that is used to describe the convergence of biotechnology and engineering. The dramatic cost reduction in our ... Read more
The biotechnology (biotech) industry is incredibly diverse. Recently, I wrote about the size of the biotech industry , which is, of course, related to how biotechnology is defined. As a strict definition, biotechnology is the use of biology to turn raw materials into useful products. However, the act of developing a biotech product requires many enabling technologies, reagents, and ... Read more
Geneticist Inc. is working in collaboration with Biotech Careers to give people new to the field of biotech an understanding of what it’s like to work at a biorepository. Geneticist is a biobank of human tissue samples , a facility that stores diseased and regular tissue samples and data to be distributed, upon request, to various laboratories, pharmaceuticals, ... Read more
A simple web search says biotech is really big. One estimate indicates that the industry will have $400 billion in sales in 2017 with growth to over $775 billion by 2024 [1]. Another report suggests there are over 77,000 employers [2]. That’s big, but is it real, and what you can do with this information?
The requirements of "good communication skills" and "comfortable working in a multidisciplinary setting" on a biotech job listing are common, but what do these mean in practice? For work in biotech, there's often more than meets the eye in a job posting.
Biotechnology is an inherently multidisciplinary field, now more so than ever. A single lab can employ personnel ... Read more
The biotech industry is booming. Some reservations notwithstanding, influxes of venture capital reflect economic robustness in the biotech market, and the recent pledge of funds for personalized (or "precision") medical research by the Obama administration reflect widespread public interest in the industry.
Amidst this upswing, many are still hesitant to call Seattle a biotech hub. This is for several ... Read more