BIOCHEMIST AND BIOPHYSICIST

Job Definition:

Job Description:

• Study the chemical composition and physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena. May conduct research to further understanding of the complex chemical combinations and reactions involved in metabolism, reproduction, growth, and heredity. May determine the effects of foods, drugs, serums, hormones, and other substances on tissues and vital processes of living organisms.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Analyze brain functions such as learning, thinking, and memory, and the dynamics of seeing and hearing.
• 2) Design and perform experiments with equipment such as lasers, accelerators, and mass spectrometers.
• 3) Develop and test new drugs and medications intended for commercial distribution.
• 4) Develop methods to process, store, and use foods, drugs, and chemical compounds.
• 5) Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.
• 6) Examine the molecular and chemical aspects of immune system functioning.
• 7) Investigate the nature, composition, and expression of genes, and research how genetic engineering can impact these processes.
• 8) Isolate, analyze, and synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, and enzymes, and determine their effects on body functions.
• 9) Prepare reports and recommendations based upon research outcomes.
• 10) Research how characteristics of plants and animals are carried through successive generations.
• 11) Research the chemical effects of substances such as drugs, serums, hormones, and food on tissues and vital processes.
• 12) Share research findings by writing scientific articles and by making presentations at scientific conferences.
• 13) Study physical principles of living cells and organisms and their electrical and mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.
• 14) Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, and living energy changes such as growth, aging, and death.
• 15) Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer and other diseases.
• 16) Design and build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects.
• 17) Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.
• 18) Develop and execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities.
• 19) Investigate damage to cells and tissues caused by x-rays and nuclear particles.
• 20) Investigate the transmission of electrical impulses along nerves and muscles.
• 21) Manage laboratory teams, and monitor the quality of a team’s work.
• 22) Research cancer treatment, using radiation and nuclear particles.
• 23) Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes.
• 24) Study how light is absorbed in processes such as photosynthesis or vision.
• 25) Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules such as proteins, using x-rays and electron microscopes.
• 26) Analyze foods to determine their nutritional values and the effects of cooking, canning, and processing on these
• values.
  27) Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial
• distribution.
  28) Produce pharmaceutically and industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology.
• 29) Teach and advise undergraduate and graduate students, and supervise their research.

Activities:

• 1) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• 2) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 3) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 4) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 5) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 6) Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• 7) Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• 8) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• 9) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 10) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 11) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 12) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 13) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 14) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 15) Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• 16) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• 17) Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• 18) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 19) Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• 20) Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• 21) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 22) Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• 23) Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• 24) Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• 25) Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• 26) Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Abilities:

• 1) Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 2) Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 3) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 4) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 5) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• 6) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 7) Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• 8) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 9) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 10) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 11) Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
• 12) Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• 13) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 14) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 15) Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• 16) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• 17) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 18) Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
• 19) Visual Color Discrimination — The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
• 20) Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
• 21) Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands
• to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  22) Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

Knowledge:

• 1) Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 2) 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.
• 3) 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.
• 4) Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 5) 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.
• 6) English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 7) Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 8) Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 9) Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.