Biochemists and Biophysicists
If you're still a student, you've probably already learned that everything with mass and volume is called matter, that matter is made up of molecules, and that molecules are made up of atoms. You also know there are several sciences devoted to studying matter, like chemistry and physics - but do you know the difference between them? A lot of us mix them up. Chemistry studies the internal relationships between the components of matter, like the chemical reactions that happen between molecules. Physics, on the other hand, is concerned with external forces and cosmic phenomena that affect matter, such as gravity, heat, and light. Chemistry and physics have given rise to many sub-fields, for example: biochemistry and biophysics. Biochemists study all the chemical reactions that take place in different living organisms, including humans, animals, and plants. Biophysicists, meanwhile, are responsible for figuring out how the internal organs of living organisms work, and how they respond to external influences - for example, how do plant cells respond to light and convert it into energy? Or how does gravity affect human muscles?
Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa
What You'll Actually Do
The core tasks and responsibilities that fill a typical day.
- 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.
- Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes.
- Research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations.
- Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology.
- Isolate, analyze, or synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions.
- Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers.
- Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research.
- Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes.
- Examine the molecular or chemical aspects of immune system functioning.
- Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.