According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Maintain accurate laboratory records and data. | 93% |
| Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results. | 90% |
| Write grant applications to obtain funding. | 87% |
| Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis. | 86% |
| Conduct research on cell organization and function, including mechanisms of gene expression, cellular bioinformatics, cell signaling, or cell differentiation. | 85% |
| Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations. | 84% |
| Instruct undergraduate and graduate students within the areas of cellular or molecular biology. | 83% |
| Direct, coordinate, organize, or prioritize biological laboratory activities. | 83% |
| Compile and analyze molecular or cellular experimental data and adjust experimental designs as necessary. | 82% |
| Evaluate new technologies to enhance or complement current research. | 81% |
| Provide scientific direction for project teams regarding the evaluation or handling of devices, drugs, or cells for in vitro and in vivo disease models. | 80% |
| Supervise technical personnel and postdoctoral research fellows. | 80% |
| Monitor or operate specialized equipment, such as gas chromatographs and high pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers. | 75% |
| Conduct applied research aimed at improvements in areas such as disease testing, crop quality, pharmaceuticals, and the harnessing of microbes to recycle waste. | 70% |
| Develop guidelines for procedures such as the management of viruses. | 70% |
| Develop assays that monitor cell characteristics. | 69% |
| Coordinate molecular or cellular research activities with scientists specializing in other fields. | 65% |
| Verify all financial, physical, and human resources assigned to research or development projects are used as planned. | 63% |
| 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. | 62% |
| Evaluate new supplies and equipment to ensure operability in specific laboratory settings. | 60% |
| Confer with vendors to evaluate new equipment or reagents or to discuss the customization of product lines to meet user requirements. | 51% |
| Design databases, such as mutagenesis libraries. | 49% |
