The ABC behind the BSc degree

Most students who take up the Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree course are often looked at as those who didn’t make it through the elite streams of engineering and medical.

No matter how much we deny this thought, to an extent it holds to be true.

Pursuing a standard BSc course until a few years ago was considered a waste of time. After poor HSC results students would make a beeline to seek admissions at Commerce colleges. But now there seems to be a wave of change with more and more students considering the BSc option, which is expanding to provide a variety of alternatives.

Like in every stream, there are students’ favourite specialisations in science as well. Most students often opt for specialisations like IT, Computer Science, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Physics, Chemistry, Maths and a option- Nursing. In part one we take a look at Biotechnology and Microbiology.

Subject: Biotechnology - a field of applied biology that involves the use of living things in engineering, technology, medicine, and other useful applications.

In India the importance of biotechnology is diverse. Besides generating a trained and improved knowledge base and workforce, our country is proving to be an ideal destination for global companies setting up manufacturing activities and high-level research programmes. We have, in fact, already welcomed multinational giants such as Pfizer, Bayer and Hoechst to set up base here.

What are the specialisations?
Like every other field, this too has been divided into four major areas, Red biotechnology, White or Grey biotechnology, Green biotechnology, Blue technology. Each of these colour codes correspond to the nature of study. Red biotechnology, for instance, is applied to medical processes; White or grey to industrial process; for instance, in the designing of an organism to produce a useful chemical. Green biotechnology is applied to agricultural processes. For example, the designing of transgenic plants to grow under specific environmental conditions, under the presence or absence of certain agricultural chemicals; or to enhance productivity. The green revolution in our country agricultural history is an outcome of this type of biotechnology. The fourth and the last, Blue biotechnology, the use of which is very rare, is used to describe the applications in oceans and other water bodies.

What’s the future?
There is immense scope of getting jobs in this field as the demand for biotechnologists is growing in India as well as abroad. It is estimated that more than 6,000 top skilled biotechnologists are required in India. As a biotechnologist, one can get into government institutes and organizations, such as Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Development of Education, Science and Technology at Thiruvananthapuram.

Agriculture, dairy and horticulture institutes, and pharmaceutical companies are the other fields that need biotechnologists. Food processing industry, chemical industry, and the textile industry are the some areas where BSc Biotechnology graduates can look for jobs.

Subject: Microbiology - the study of microorganisms, which are unicellular or cell-cluster microscopic organisms.
Microbiology is often incorrectly classed as the study of germs or of bacteria.

While some microbiologists may specifically study viruses, also called virology, or bacteria, also called bacteriology, microbiology encompasses the study of all microscopic organisms. This includes the study of bacteria, protozoa, fungi, some types of algae, and often viruses.

Those studying the field see the world as composed of almost uncountable numbers of tiny unseen parts that influence us in many ways. The field is constantly uncovering more that may be of benefit to all humans interacting with their environment. The subject is only getting started as a science.

What are the specialisations?
Microbiology is further branched into 16 specialisations that one can take up after completing a degree in microbiology. Microbial physiology studies how the microbial cell functions biochemically. Cellular microbiology is a discipline bridging microbiology and cell biology. Medical microbiology studies pathogenic microbes and the role of microbes in human illness.

Veterinary microbiology studies the role of microbes in veterinary medicine or animal taxonomy. Environmental microbiology looks at the function and diversity of microbes in their natural environments. Evolutionary microbiology is the study of the evolution of microbes. Industrial microbiology looks at the exploitation of microbes for use in industrial processes.

Examples include industrial fermentation, wastewater treatment and brewing. Aero microbiology studies airborne microorganisms. Food microbiology studies micro organisms causing food spoilage and food borne illness. Pharmaceutical microbiology studies micro-organisms causing pharmaceutical contamination. Agricultural microbiology is the study of agriculturally important microorganisms.

Soil Microbiology studies those microorganisms that are found in soil. Water microbiology studies micro-organisms that are found in water. Generation microbiology studies those micro-organism that have same characters as their parents and Nano microbiology studies micro-organism at nano level.

What’s the future?
On graduating with a degree in microbiology, once can qualify for various positions as technical, environmental and clinical researchers. The role of a Research Assistant (RA) is an important one; a RA gets to work alongside a director and scientists as well as marketing, administrative and sales professionals.   

Job opportunities are available in positions like quality assurance technologists in food, industrial or environmental microbiology, and even clinical and veterinary microbiologists and medical technologists.