Geneticist

The salary structure of Researchers in laboratories are mostly paid in accordance with government scales in India and similar scales abroad.

Starting salaries could range from Rs 7,000 – Rs 15,000 per month depending upon academic qualification, institute or university from which the degree is attained, level of work experience and company policy.

Peak salaries in Indian Government-owned labs would be a cost to company of around Rs 1 lac per month including housing and other benefits.

A Chief Scientist in a private sector laboratory or biotech company would earn an internationally competitive salary at par with Chief Financial Officers and Chief Technology Officers in the corporate sector in the range of Rs 50 lacs to Rs 1 crore per annum.

Geneticists are immersed in exciting science, technology, and medical advancements every day. The opportunities are numerous to contribute to the advancement of science, the care of patients, and the teaching of the next generation of genetics professionals. Although the scientist needs make a commitment in time, energy, and focus to be successful, but the rewards are enormous. Genetics will be at the center of scientific advancement for the 21st century.

Geneticists can pursue PhD studies and go into pure research at premier national institutions like the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, which works closely with State and Central Forensic Science Laboratories to increase conviction rate of criminals, or the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, which develops new vaccines and diagnostic tools which it then hands over to industry to manufacture and market. Or they could go into industry, where they would work in in-house research laboratories to develop products for the company. They would also find jobs in research institutes, hospital research labs, diagnostic laboratories, and universities. Science writing, medical writing, technical writing, editing, science journalism, publishing, public information/communications are the some of the nontraditional careers in genetic science. Besides these one can also take up careers in government, drug approval and policy making and law etc.

Crick and Watson may well be the names that trip off the tongue when most people are asked to identify pioneering geneticists. Watson and Crick were not the discoverers of DNA, but rather the first scientists to formulate an accurate description of this molecule's complex, double-helical structure. Moreover, Watson and Crick's work was directly dependent on the research of numerous scientists before them, including Friedrich Miescher, Phoebus Levene, and Erwin Chargaff. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1962 was awarded jointly to Francis Harry Compton Crick, James Dewey Watson and Maurice Hugh Frederick

George Palade has been described as the founder of cell biology. He did ground-breaking research in the structure of the cell and its functioning and ultimately discovered ribosomes. For his pioneering work in cell biology, he was awarded the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, with Christian Rene de Duve of Belgium and Albert Claude of the United States.

Researchers are known for their disciplined work and have some control over their work schedules, both genetic researchers and practitioners often work more than 40 hours every week. For researchers, experiments may take many hours to complete, or protocols may require lab work several days in a row. When working with human volunteers, it is important to schedule activities at the convenience of the subjects when possible. In addition to the laboratory and/or field work required to perform the studies, researchers must read the scientific literature, analyze their own data, and prepare manuscripts of their work for scientific journals. Also, most medical research is quite expensive, and researchers are responsible for competing nationally for funding to support their work. This competition requires writing successful grant applications. In the case of practicing clinical and laboratory geneticists and genetic counselors, patients come first. That commitment may translate into long days to complete evaluations or follow up, or may include weekend obligations.