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Date: 02/12/2025

Molecular and Cellular Biologists

Research and study cellular molecules and organelles to understand cell function and organization.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Verify all financial, physical, and human resources assigned to research or development projects are used as planned.
    • Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations.
    • Maintain accurate laboratory records and data.
    • Supervise technical personnel and postdoctoral research fellows.
    • Design databases, such as mutagenesis libraries.
    • Coordinate molecular or cellular research activities with scientists specializing in other fields.
    • 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.
    • Confer with vendors to evaluate new equipment or reagents or to discuss the customization of product lines to meet user requirements.
    • Develop guidelines for procedures such as the management of viruses.
    • Evaluate new supplies and equipment to ensure operability in specific laboratory settings.
    • Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
    • Instruct undergraduate and graduate students within the areas of cellular or molecular biology.
    • Monitor or operate specialized equipment, such as gas chromatographs and high pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers.
    • Provide scientific direction for project teams regarding the evaluation or handling of devices, drugs, or cells for in vitro and in vivo disease models.
    • Develop assays that monitor cell characteristics.
    • 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.
    • Evaluate new technologies to enhance or complement current research.
    • Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations.
    • Conduct applied research aimed at improvements in areas such as disease testing, crop quality, pharmaceuticals, and the harnessing of microbes to recycle waste.
    • Write grant applications to obtain funding.
    • Direct, coordinate, organize, or prioritize biological laboratory activities.
    • Confer with vendors to evaluate new equipment or reagents or to discuss the customization of product lines to meet user requirements.
    • Write grant applications to obtain funding.
    • Compile and analyze molecular or cellular experimental data and adjust experimental designs as necessary.

    Skills

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    5
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    Knowledge

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    Career Video

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 86690/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 41.68/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 510
    • Yearly Projected Openings 40

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Persistence
    • Integrity
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Cooperation
    • Dependability

    Tools

    • Automated microscope stages
    • Benchtop centrifuges
    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Centrifuge tubes
    • Chemical or gas sterilizers
    • Complementary deoxyribonucleic acid cDNA synthesis kits
    • Deoxyribonucleic sequence analyzers
    • Desktop computers
    • Dry baths or heating blocks
    • Dry wall single chamber carbon dioxide incubators
    • Electron guns
    • Electronic multichannel pipetters
    • Electrophoresis system accessories
    • Eyewashers or eye wash stations
    • Floor centrifuges
    • Fluorescent microscopes
    • Fume hoods or cupboards
    • Gas chromatographs
    • Gel documentation systems
    • General cloning vectors
    • General purpose refrigerators or refrigerator freezers
    • Heating or drying equipment or accessories
    • High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography
    • Hybridization ovens or incubators
    • Immunology or serology test kits or supplies
    • Inverted microscopes
    • Laboratory balances
    • Laboratory beakers
    • Laboratory dishes
    • Laboratory vacuum pumps
    • Laminar flow cabinets or stations
    • Manual or electronic hematology differential cell counters
    • Manual single channel positive displacement pipetters
    • Manual single channel repeating pipetters
    • Mass spectrometers
    • Medical computed tomography CT or CAT scanners or tubes
    • Medical magnetic resonance imaging MRI scanners
    • Microbiology analyzers
    • Microcentrifuges
    • Microplate readers
    • Notebook computers
    • Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers
    • Orbital shakers
    • Pasteur or transfer pipettes
    • Personal computers
    • Photo attachments for microscopes
    • Plate incubators
    • Protective gloves
    • Rapid amplification or complementary deoxyribonucleic acid ends RACE technology products
    • Refrigerated benchtop centrifuges
    • Robotic or automated liquid handling systems
    • Scanning light or spinning disk or laser scanning microscopes
    • Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
    • Spectrophotometers
    • Stereo or dissecting light microscopes
    • Stirring hotplates
    • Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers
    • Tissue culture incubators
    • Transilluminators
    • Ultra pure water systems
    • Volumetric pipettes
    • Vortex mixers
    • Water baths
    • pH meters

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Data mining software
    • File versioning software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Internet browser software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

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