Job Duties Custom List 19-1020.01 — Biologists
- Plan and administer biological research programs for government, research firms, medical industries, or manufacturing firms.
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- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Provide expertise in the design, management and evaluation of study protocols and health status questionnaires, sample selection, and analysis.
- Communicate research findings on various types of diseases to health practitioners, policy makers, and the public.
- Oversee public health programs, including statistical analysis, health care planning, surveillance systems, and public health improvement.
- Investigate diseases or parasites to determine cause and risk factors, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission.
- Educate healthcare workers, patients, and the public about infectious and communicable diseases, including disease transmission and prevention.
- Monitor and report incidents of infectious diseases to local and state health agencies.
- Write articles for publication in professional journals.
- Write grant applications to fund epidemiologic research.
- Plan, administer and evaluate health safety standards and programs to improve public health, conferring with health department, industry personnel, physicians, and others.
- Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, government health officials and others regarding medical applications of sciences, such as physics, biology, and chemistry.
- Supervise professional, technical, and clerical personnel.
- Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
- Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
- Prepare and analyze samples to study effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, or microorganisms on cell structure and tissue.
- Identify and analyze public health issues related to foodborne parasitic diseases and their impact on public policies, scientific studies, or surveys.
- Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Provide expertise in the design, management and evaluation of study protocols and health status questionnaires, sample selection, and analysis.
- Plan and administer biological research programs for government, research firms, medical industries, or manufacturing firms.
- Develop methods and apparatus for securing representative plant, animal, aquatic, or soil samples.
- Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.
- Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
- Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment.
- Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists.
- Identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species.
- Communicate test results to state and federal representatives and general public.
- Prepare requests for proposals or statements of work.
- Represent employer in a technical capacity at conferences.
- Review reports and proposals, such as those relating to land use classifications and recreational development, for accuracy, adequacy, or adherence to policies, regulations, or scientific standards.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for biological research.
- Research environmental effects of present and potential uses of land and water areas, determining methods of improving environmental conditions or such outputs as crop yields.
- Study and manage wild animal populations.
- Measure salinity, acidity, light, oxygen content, and other physical conditions of water to determine their relationship to aquatic life.
- Prepare plans for management of renewable resources.
- Teach or supervise students and perform research at universities and colleges.
- Study reactions of plants, animals, and marine species to parasites.
- Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data.
- Study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and function.
- Study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them, such as radioactivity or pollution.
- Develop pest management and control measures, and conduct risk assessments related to pest exclusion, using scientific methods.
- Plan and administer biological research programs for government, research firms, medical industries, or manufacturing firms.
- Develop methods and apparatus for securing representative plant, animal, aquatic, or soil samples.
- Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
- Develop assays that monitor cell characteristics.
- Maintain accurate laboratory records and data.
- Write grant applications to obtain funding.
- Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis.
- Conduct research on cell organization and function, including mechanisms of gene expression, cellular bioinformatics, cell signaling, or cell differentiation.
- Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations.
- Instruct undergraduate and graduate students within the areas of cellular or molecular biology.
- Direct, coordinate, organize, or prioritize biological laboratory activities.
- Compile and analyze molecular or cellular experimental data and adjust experimental designs as necessary.
- Evaluate new technologies to enhance or complement current research.
- Provide scientific direction for project teams regarding the evaluation or handling of devices, drugs, or cells for in vitro and in vivo disease models.
- Supervise technical personnel and postdoctoral research fellows.
- Monitor or operate specialized equipment, such as gas chromatographs and high pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers.
- Conduct applied research aimed at improvements in areas such as disease testing, crop quality, pharmaceuticals, and the harnessing of microbes to recycle waste.
- Develop guidelines for procedures such as the management of viruses.
- Coordinate molecular or cellular research activities with scientists specializing in other fields.
- Verify all financial, physical, and human resources assigned to research or development projects are used as planned.
- Evaluate new supplies and equipment to ensure operability in specific laboratory settings.
- Participate in all levels of bioproduct development, including proposing new products, performing market analyses, designing and performing experiments, and collaborating with operations and quality control teams during product launches.
- Design databases, such as mutagenesis libraries.
- Confer with vendors to evaluate new equipment or reagents or to discuss the customization of product lines to meet user requirements.
- Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
- Develop assays that monitor cell characteristics.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.
- Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.
- Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.
- Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
- Write and publish articles in scientific journals.
- Write applications for research grants.
- Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
- Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites.
- Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, or chromatography systems.
- Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs.
- Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry.
- Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.
- Study animal and human health and physiological processes.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Organize and conduct experimental studies with live animals in controlled or natural surroundings.
- Develop, or make recommendations on, management systems and plans for wildlife populations and habitat, consulting with stakeholders and the public at large to explore options.
- Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations.
- Inform and respond to public regarding wildlife and conservation issues, such as plant identification, hunting ordinances, and nuisance wildlife.
- Study animals in their natural habitats, assessing effects of environment and industry on animals, interpreting findings and recommending alternative operating conditions for industry.
- Disseminate information by writing reports and scientific papers or journal articles, and by making presentations and giving talks for schools, clubs, interest groups and park interpretive programs.
- Check for, and ensure compliance with, environmental laws, and notify law enforcement when violations are identified.
- Analyze characteristics of animals to identify and classify them.
- Conduct literature reviews.
- Prepare collections of preserved specimens or microscopic slides for species identification and study of development or disease.
- Collect and dissect animal specimens and examine specimens under microscope.
- Raise specimens for study and observation or for use in experiments.
- Study characteristics of animals, such as origin, interrelationships, classification, life histories, diseases, development, genetics, and distribution.
- Perform administrative duties, such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff.
- Coordinate preventive programs to control the outbreak of wildlife diseases.
- Organize and conduct experimental studies with live animals in controlled or natural surroundings.
- Plan or conduct basic genomic and biological research related to areas such as regulation of gene expression, protein interactions, metabolic networks, and nucleic acid or protein complexes.
- Supervise or direct the work of other geneticists, biologists, technicians, or biometricians working on genetics research projects.
- Prepare results of experimental findings for presentation at professional conferences or in scientific journals.
- Maintain laboratory notebooks that record research methods, procedures, and results.
- Write grants and papers or attend fundraising events to seek research funds.
- Search scientific literature to select and modify methods and procedures most appropriate for genetic research goals.
- Review, approve, or interpret genetic laboratory results.
- Attend clinical and research conferences and read scientific literature to keep abreast of technological advances and current genetic research findings.
- Evaluate genetic data by performing appropriate mathematical or statistical calculations and analyses.
- Analyze determinants responsible for specific inherited traits, and devise methods for altering traits or producing new traits.
- Extract deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or perform diagnostic tests involving processes such as gel electrophoresis, Southern blot analysis, and polymerase chain reaction analysis.
- Collaborate with biologists and other professionals to conduct appropriate genetic and biochemical analyses.
- Instruct medical students, graduate students, or others in methods or procedures for diagnosis and management of genetic disorders.
- Create or use statistical models for the analysis of genetic data.
- Maintain laboratory safety programs and train personnel in laboratory safety techniques.
- Verify that cytogenetic, molecular genetic, and related equipment and instrumentation is maintained in working condition to ensure accuracy and quality of experimental results.
- Develop protocols to improve existing genetic techniques or to incorporate new diagnostic procedures.
- Confer with information technology specialists to develop computer applications for genetic data analysis.
- Design sampling plans or coordinate the field collection of samples such as tissue specimens.
- Evaluate, diagnose, or treat genetic diseases.
- Conduct family medical studies to evaluate the genetic basis for traits or diseases.
- Design and maintain genetics computer databases.
- Participate in the development of endangered species breeding programs or species survival plans.
- Plan curatorial programs for species collections that include acquisition, distribution, maintenance, or regeneration.
- Plan or conduct basic genomic and biological research related to areas such as regulation of gene expression, protein interactions, metabolic networks, and nucleic acid or protein complexes.
