According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences. | 94% |
| Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research. | 90% |
| Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work. | 89% |
| Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology. | 89% |
| Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes. | 88% |
| Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research. | 87% |
| Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers. | 84% |
| Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules. | 84% |
| Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes. | 81% |
| Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects. | 81% |
| Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes. | 79% |
| Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death. | 77% |
| Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial distribution. | 75% |
| Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer or other diseases. | 74% |
| Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes. | 73% |
| Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes. | 72% |
| Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities. | 70% |
| Develop or test new drugs or medications intended for commercial distribution. | 68% |
| Isolate, analyze, or synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions. | 66% |
| Examine the molecular or chemical aspects of immune system functioning. | 66% |
| Research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations. | 65% |
| Develop methods to process, store, or use foods, drugs, or chemical compounds. | 65% |
| Investigate the nature, composition, or expression of genes or research how genetic engineering can impact these processes. | 65% |
| Produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology. | 63% |
