Biotechnology in Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland

Biotechnology in Athlone Institute of Technology

Why take this course?

Biotechnology explores biological systems (cells and organisms) to discover new ways to benefit mankind and the environment. Biotechnologists use their knowledge of biology to create products and processes within areas such as food, agriculture, the environment and medicine. The concept of biotechnology has been around for a long time; bread, alcohol and cheese making, for example, all involve microbial fermentation to make desirable products. However in the last 20 years, with the emergence of genetic engineering, genome mapping and a much better understanding of how DNA, RNA and proteins function together, biotechnology has revealed new and better approaches to solving many of the problems that face humanity.

What opportunities might it lead to?

Employment:

Typical areas of employment include biopharmaceutical and medical technology industries, research organisations (academic and industrial), food and drinks manufacturing. Roles for biotechnology graduates include quality assurance and quality control technician, manufacturing technologist, biochemist, analytical scientist, microbiologist and process engineer.