Biochemists and Biophysicists

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial distribution.
• Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers.
• Isolate, analyze, or synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions.
• Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer or other diseases.
• Examine the molecular or chemical aspects of immune system functioning.
• Investigate the nature, composition, or expression of genes or research how genetic engineering can impact these processes.
• Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.
• Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work.
• Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.
• Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
• Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.
• Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences.
• Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes.
• Develop methods to process, store, or use foods, drugs, or chemical compounds.
• Produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology.
• Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death.
• Develop or test new drugs or medications intended for commercial distribution.
• Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects.
• Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes.
• Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research.
• Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities.
• Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes.
• Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities.
• Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology.
• Research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations.

Skills

• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

Abilities

• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.

Knowledge

• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Education

Education

Doctoral or professional degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Bellevue College
  3000 Landerholm Cir SE, Bellevue WA 98007-6484
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 425-564-1000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/
  Program Name
  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Gonzaga University
  E 502 Boone Ave, Spokane WA 99258-0001
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 800-986-9585
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.gonzaga.edu/
  Program Name
  Biochemistry
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Seattle Pacific University
  3307 3rd Ave W, Seattle WA 98119-1997
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 206-281-2000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://spu.edu/
  Program Name
  Biochemistry
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Seattle University
  900 Broadway, Seattle WA 98122-4340
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 206-296-6000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.seattleu.edu/
  Program Name
  Biochemistry
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Puget Sound
  1500 N. Warner Street, Tacoma WA 98416
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-879-3100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.pugetsound.edu/
  Program Name
  Biochemistry
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Bothell Campus
  18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell WA 98011-8246
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 425-352-5000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.uwb.edu/
  Program Name
  Biochemistry
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Seattle Campus
  1400 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle WA 98195-4550
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 206-543-2100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.washington.edu/
  Program Name
  Pharmaceutics and Drug Design
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
  Save
  Program Name
  Structural Biology
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Biochemistry
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Walla Walla University
  204 S College Ave, College Place WA 99324-1198
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-527-2615
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.wallawalla.edu/
  Program Name
  Biochemistry
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Biophysics
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Washington State University
  French Administration Building, Pullman WA 99164-5910
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 509-335-3564
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://wsu.edu/
  Program Name
  Biochemistry
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

  ---

• Western Washington University
  516 High Street, Bellingham WA 98225-9008
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 360-650-3000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://wwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Biochemistry
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Whitman College
  345 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla WA 99362
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-527-5111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.whitman.edu/
  Program Name
  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

107730/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

51.79/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

660

Yearly Projected Openings

70

Personality

Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:

• Integrity
• Analytical Thinking
• Persistence
• Attention to Detail
• Achievement/Effort
• Dependability

Tools

• Amino acid analyzers
• Analytical balances
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Calorimeters
• Camera controllers
• Chemistry analyzers
• Chilling units or cold water circulators
• Cryogenic or liquid nitrogen freezers
• Deoxyribonucleic sequence analyzers
• Desktop computers
• Digital camcorders or video cameras
• Dropping pipettes
• Dry baths or heating blocks
• Dry wall single chamber carbon dioxide incubators
• Electroencephalograph EEGs
• Electron guns
• Electron microscopes
• Electronic toploading balances
• Electrophoresis system power supplies
• Flame ionization analyzers
• Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators
• Freeze dryers or lyopholizers
• Fume hoods or cupboards
• Gamma counters
• Gas chromatographs
• Gel boxes
• Gel documentation systems
• Heat tracing equipment
• Heating mantles or tapes
• Hematology or chemistry mixers
• High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography
• Homogenizers
• Infrared spectrometers
• Injectors
• Instrumentation for capillary electrophoresis
• Inverted microscopes
• Ion analyzers
• Irradiation gamma sources
• Laboratory adapters or connectors or fittings
• Laboratory balances
• Laboratory beakers
• Laboratory flasks
• Laboratory funnels
• Laboratory graduated cylinders
• Laboratory heat exchange condensers
• Laboratory hotplates
• Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
• Laboratory vacuum pumps
• Laminar flow cabinets or stations
• Laser printers
• Lasers
• Light scattering equipment
• Liquid scintillation counters
• Mainframe computers
• Manual or electronic hematology differential cell counters
• Mass spectrometers
• Medical computed tomography CT or CAT scanners or tubes
• Medical imaging wet darkroom or daylight processors
• Medical magnetic resonance imaging MRI scanners
• Medical positron emission tomography PET units
• Medical radiation dosimeters
• Medical x ray darkroom accessories
• Microbiology analyzers
• Microcentrifuges
• Microplate readers
• Microscope slides
• Microtomes
• Mobile or transportable medical linear accelerators
• Multipurpose or general test tubes
• Notebook computers
• Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers
• Optical beamsplitters
• Orbital shakers
• Orbital shaking water baths
• Osmometers
• Paramagnetic susceptibility analyzers
• Pasteur or transfer pipettes
• Personal computers
• Photo attachments for microscopes
• Piezo electric crystals
• Plotter printers
• Polarimeters
• Polarizing microscopes
• Pressure indicators
• Protective hood
• Protein analyzers
• Reactors or fermenters or digesters
• Refrigerated and heated reach in environmental or growth chambers
• Refrigerated benchtop centrifuges
• Rheometers
• Robotic or automated liquid handling systems
• Scanners
• Scanning electron microscopes
• Scanning light or spinning disk or laser scanning microscopes
• Scanning probe microscopes
• Shaking incubators
• Signal conditioners
• Signal generators
• Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
• Spectrometers
• Spectrophotometers
• Standard fermentation units
• Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
• Tissue processors
• Transilluminators
• Transmission electron microscopes
• Tweezers
• Ultra violet water purification units
• Ultracentrifuges
• Ultrasonic cleaning equipment
• Ultrasonic disintegrators
• Vacuum or centrifugal concentrators
• Viscosimeters
• Water baths
• X ray diffraction equipment
• X ray generators
• pH meters

Technology

• Analytical or scientific software
• Computer aided design CAD software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Data mining software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise application integration software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Geographic information system
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Information retrieval or search software
• Internet browser software
• Inventory management software
• Object or component oriented development software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Presentation software
• Process mapping and design software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software