Biochemists and Biophysicists

Biochemists and Biophysicists typically perform the following tasks: • Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences. • Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research. • Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology. • Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work. • Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes. • Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research. • Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers. • Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules. • Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects. • Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes. • 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. • Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer or other diseases. • Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes. • Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes. • Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities. • Develop or test new drugs or medications intended for commercial distribution. • Isolate, analyze, or synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions. • Examine the molecular or chemical aspects of immune system functioning. • Research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations.