People with a background in the life sciences can apply for a variety of different life scientist jobs. The study of all types of life forms, including plants and animals, as well as the molecular building blocks of life, falls under the umbrella of life science. Work with viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens is common in life scientist jobs, including those in the pharmaceutical industry. Because the field is vast and requires a great deal of knowledge, most people who study the life sciences choose a specialty early on in their education.
Jobs involving the study of plants and animals are some of the more well-known life scientist jobs among those outside the field. In order to better understand the natural world, people can work as zoologists, botanists, or general biologists, who may study both. These scientists are frequently involved in developing better agricultural, horticultural, and human-environment interaction practices. Ecology and the environment are frequently studied by people who work as life scientists.
People who work as life scientists may study life forms that are microscopic as well as life forms that can be seen with the naked eye. These can include eukaryotes, bacteria, and viruses, and frequently include positions in medical fields. Biochemistry and biotechnology are two common fields for people working in the life sciences who conduct research to find disease cures.
Biophysicists and molecular biologists are frequently employed by people who study the building blocks of life. These researchers can study the structure and behavior of proteins in the context of a larger organism or in isolation. Molecular biologists frequently study deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). These studies have a variety of applications, including plant and animal genetic engineering and the development of genetic treatments for a variety of diseases.
While the majority of life scientist jobs are in research, people with a background in the life sciences can also work in a variety of other fields. Teachers and instructors at all levels, from elementary to university, strive to pass on their knowledge of the life sciences to the next generation of scientists while also encouraging others to develop a scientific curiosity about the world. Illustrations and three-dimensional computer models of life forms or living structures can also be created by artists with a background in life sciences.