Bachelor in Genetic Engineering?

[elizok]

Hello,

I am a student at a community college, planning career in genetic engineering. Since I have never heard of any university having undergraduate degree in genetic engineering, what major would you suggest I chose that would bring me closer to my choice?

 

I was thinking of biomedical engineering or human genetics. Or has anyone heard of dual program for these two majors?

[Skye]

What area are you looking to get into? Do you want to work in industry, academic research or government? Do you want to work in pharmaceuticals, crop biotechnology, medical research, or something else?

 

Genetic engineering is a collection of techniques that can be used in a wide variety of areas. Which of those you want to work in should help you decide where to study, what to major in and what subjects to take.

 

Those majors sound fine. There are many different names for majors which are very similar. So might have Molecular Genetics or Medical Biotechnology or Biological Chemistry majors, or a bunch of others, but they'll contain many of the same subjects.

[VendingMenace]

Right, what skye said. Basically, as long as you are taking a genetics or biochem-like major you are cool. What you should do is the following (only advice)...

 

Pick something that is fairly broad within the field in which you are interested (say biochemistry) and then, in addition to the classes you will be required to take for this major, take any genetics courses and labs that look like they would be relevent to a gentic egineering job (talking to faculty and advisors will be criticle in determining what courses these would be). Most likely this would involve a moleculare genetics lab and one (maybe two) upperdivision courses.

 

I think this would be better than a strictly genetics or genetic engineering major for a few reasons. First, it gives you a much broader appreciation for what is happening in genetics. Second, it gives you more specific knoledge on how all the stuff works (esp if you go the biochem route). ANd third, it will allow you to state on your resume that you have a broader background and thus make you eligable for more jobs, and more attactive to those jobs to which you can apply.

 

But of course you do not have to go this route. ONe thing i will say is take a very broad set of classes...even within your major's area. That is, if you want to do genetics, then you should try to hit up some classes that might pertain to gentics, even if on the fringe. For instance consider classes in the following...

 

biochem

physical chemistry

supramolecular chemistry

evolution

linear algebra

 

the list can go on and on. The point being, be brave and explore things that might appear somewhat dubious as far as application to your chosen major might be. You never know when crazy knowledge will come in handy I, for one, have never regretted taking linear algebra. That was a great course, and has come in handy more times that i can care to recall.

 

 

Anyways, just some advice, take it or leave it. Either way, have a blast in college and enjoy having your job be learning!

[elizok]

I wish I had the answers for your questions, Skye. Medical research sounds exciting, but I don't feel very certain for any of the fields you've mentioned. I guess this all is too new for me. But, you're right, It's high time to start exploring all those fields.

 

Right now I am taking pre-calculus and C++ (It's my first semester in college). I took programming language because most of the schools that have biomedical engineering or bioengineering require some kind of programming course. I'll be also required to take general biology, chemistry and physics courses and a lot of math, which does, of course, include linear algebra, VendingManace, thanks for bringing that up.

 

Molecular Genetics, Biological Chem and the like all fall in the school of science, which has transfer requirements that are different from those of engineering school. I am looking for a 4 year college that has minor in bioengineering which can be done along with some science major. I would like to take this path, but I am not sure how to combine the prerequisites of these two schools. Any ideas?

[T_FLeX]

Usually, or at least no colleges I've looked into have minors in biological engineering. The University of Georgia has a very good Biological engineering program which I hope to get into next year. It’s basically biology, chemistry, genetics, and engineering all in one. The program gives three optional areas of emphasis, bio medical, bio processing, and environmental. This program is available in many other schools, and is supposed to be one of the best of its kind.

 

You might be interested in it, considering it has a lot of different subjects all revolving around biological engineering. I originally wanted to go the genetics wrought, but the job field seems mostly oriented toward cancer research, and forensics science, basically stuff I don't care much for, I'm more of the production/manufacture type.

 

This is my first year in college too, and I've looked at a lot of different schools and programs, and found this one to be the most interesting. The only draw back to this program is I've been told it's pretty tough. I think maybe a dozen people graduated last year with it at UGA.

[elizok]

Whichever choice I make, like one guy from some other forum said, "the most crucial thing in the world is to get some hands-on lab experience in an actual research lab somewhere."

 

I was thinking of lab experience, but I really don't know how to arrange that. I was trying to access lab in a hospital as a volunteer ("independent student research program") but I guess no one wants to mentor a student with no experience in lab whatsoever. But where would I get a research experience? How did you gain your experience in lab?

[VendingMenace]

well, there are two ways

 

1) As the old addage goes, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Really, sometimes convincing people to let you work in their lab is kinda hard. But if you are willing to start at the bottom (washing glassware) and volunteer (work for free) then just keep asking around, you will find someone that is cool with having slave labor. While doing boaring work for free doesn't sound too appealing, at least you get your foot in the door, and you can add to your resume that you have worked in a lab.

 

2) The other way is to get lab expreience through your school. Take as many applicable lab courses as you can. Then, when you apply to labs, you can demostrate that you know the skills to work there and that you have the knowledge to quickly learn the skills you don't have.

 

 

Basically, the problem you will have revolves around the fact that people do not want to hire people that they feel they will have to teach and train extensively. They way you get around this is to ask for a job that requires no training or knowledge (washing glassware) or to wait until you have more knowldege and exprerience (by taking classes at school).

 

Do not be discouraged, though, you will find a lab job someday. And i would encourage you to go ahead and try to find the somewhat menial jobs, like cleaning the labs stuffs, becuase it will show that you are willing to do whatever it takes to get yourself in the lab and that you are interested enough in the subject that you would do a job most people hate, just so you can be near to what is going on. And i know that many a dishwasher have found themselves suddenly promoted to lab techinician, after a while spent washing dishes

 

Whatever you decide to do, though, just make sure you hav a good time, science is excited and is to be enjoyed!

[elizok]

When you say keep asking around, where do you mean I shall ask around?

 

I have no clue. I spent whole day today driving to medical centers and clinical laboratories, where people where kinda surprized to hear something like "I would like to volunteer".

[elizok]

I was even thinking of auditing some Laboratory Assistant classes, just to put something on a resume.. May be that will help..

[zhuam]

There is no such thing as a genetic engineering major. If you are into recombinant DNA and all those goodies. I would recommend you to take genetics, biotechnology or molecular biology. Biomedical engineering has NOTHING to do with genetic engineering, it deals more with mechanics, electronics and to cure diseases using physical and chemical devices

[zhuam]

Hehe, same here, it took me along while to get accepted into a lab. Right now, I have my mojo baby!

[elizok]

Yep, took me a while to understand that biomedical engineering has really nothing to do with genetic engineering. But bioengineering has a lot to do with it, and that's what I'm gonna do.

[admiral_ju00]

Surely, most Med Schools will have that option.

[zhuam]

Hi there,

 

Actually Bioengineering is too general. Many bioengineering programs actually are EXACTLY the same as biomedical engineerin. I guess they just wanted to make it sound more interesting. If you are into genetics, get into Biotechnology! You will learn all the goodies of recombinant genetics, cloning vectors, etc etc.

[coquina]

I would major in Biology and minor in Geology. I think that one of the biggest uses in the future of genetic engineering will be using chemosynthetic bacteria - the "Archaea" to convert toxic substances into non-substances.

 

Google "bio-remediation" and "hyperthermophiles".

 

Here's one article on Bioremediation from the USGS Website:

http://water.usgs.gov/wid/html/bioremed.html

[Guest LoveGenetics]

If you're female, you can have a bachelor degree of science for genetic engineering at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA. I'm a senior in high school this year and that's mostly where I'm looking.

 

Gaby

[scm007]

I'm in Caltech right now, they have a great program for Biomedical Engineering undergraduate (although I imagine I'm going to be going the full way to my Ph.D)

[ecoli]

I'm starting undergrad school next fall, i'm planning to major in Biochemistry. I've been told that's a good choice for people who want to do bio-research.

[Xavier]

This may be a geographical difference in taxonomy, but in the UK its called Molecular Biology (a name coined before actual genetic manipulation was anything more than a pipe dream) . My (jaundiced?) impression is that molecular biology came along as a super specialisation and pinched some of the fun bits from boring old biochemistry and then, when genetic engineering took off it expanded massively, leaving Biochemistry as a poor relation. There must be many more courses in the UK using the phrase Molecular Biology than Biochemistry (in the early 1990s I heard it said that around 90% of UK medical research grant applications claimed to be in the field of Molecular Biology)

In the UK, at least, 'Biomedical' is a sort of non-word; a prefix to sex up a dull course title by implying that it is something more than general biology but which doesn't have the content to go for 'Clinical' which would imply that the graduate would be legelly capable of giving a clinical opinion. (For years I was Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer in the National Health Service (formerly called Meical Lab Technicians). Then TPTB decided we should be called Biomedical Scientists - whilst cutting out our pay rise and various contractual benefits! But it made us feel really special...)

On a more pragmatic note, if you are sufficiently dedicated you should try to acquire expertise in cell culture. It is tedious but exacting and requires some 'green fingers' but it will surely make you more employable or a highly valued intern lab assistant. Ask whether courses will give hands on training in cell culture.

Top marks for actually approaching labs yourselfto find a postion. However, lab-dwellers are shy, retiring types who probably got a fright at your keenness. Letters or telephone calls the the 'Lab Manager' or 'Lab Director' will avoid putting them on the spot (or chat with the secretary who'll probably know the most effective person for you to talk to). A good official-looking letter from a course tutor or careers advisor on headed notepaper will aid your veracity.

And you could consider leaving the USA for a country with a more rational, modern science policy or by the time you graduate there may no longer be any such thing as genetics.