Careers Wales

Work Activities

Specialisms within biology include human biology, other animals (zoology), plants (botany), microbiology, biotechnology, genetics, immunology and biomedical science.

As a Biologist, you may be mainly laboratory-based. However, depending on the area you work in, you might also spend time outside the laboratory, doing fieldwork to collect samples or monitor experiments.

In the laboratory, you'll design and set up experiments, measure and observe change, record results (often using statistics and computer packages) and analyse and display results using a variety of charts, graphs, models and reports (again, using computer software).

You will use many techniques and technologies in your work. These range from making observations with the naked eye to studying micro-organisms by using electron microscopes, and from designing complex individual experiments to testing thousands of samples very quickly using automated testing equipment.

Biologists are involved in either pure or applied research. Pure research, which usually takes place in universities, is the development of knowledge to find out why things happen and to test theories. Applied research is to discover how biology can solve problems, such as finding a new drug to treat disease, improving crop yields, managing pollution and protecting endangered species.

Biological research is at the heart of many issues affecting society today, including GM crops, using genes to tackle disease, and understanding how to control infections like MRSA.

As a Research and Development Biologist, you will work in a university, research centre or maybe industry - especially in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and agrochemical companies.

Testing over a long period of time is an important part of research and development work. For example, it takes an average of 12 years to develop a new drug, from applying for a patent to the drug becoming available in pharmacies.

Whilst you may spend time working alone, either in the laboratory or during fieldwork, your work is likely to bring you into contact with other types of Scientist (Chemists and Physicists) and with Biologists who have a different specialist knowledge from your own (such as Zoological Scientists, Ecologists, Botanists and Biotechnologists).

As a Biologist, you will often lead a team of Technicians, who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the laboratory.

Apart from research and development, there are also Biologists in education, researching and lecturing in universities and teaching in schools and colleges.

Biologists also work in science communication, as Demonstrators in science centres, museums and nature centres, and in the media, for example, as Science Magazine and Newspaper Journalists.

Being able to read, write and speak Welsh may be an advantage when you’re looking for work in Wales.