The Bachelor of Biotechnology provides students with a broad knowledge of modern biotechnology and its applications. Algal biofuels, stem cell therapy and new methods of disease diagnosis are just a few projects that biotechnologists are working on today. This course provides students with a good understanding of biological processes of living organisms and the skills required to naturally manipulate these processes in the development of new medicines, environmental management, data analysis and biosensor technology. Students gain broad knowledge of modern biotechnology and practical skills in ethics, law and business processes. Biotechnology is a key science of the future and graduates have high employment rates due to the course's strong professional and industry focus. Graduates of this course gain a professional qualification in biological science and a strong foundation in the commercial aspects of biotechnology. Students choose one from the following four majors: Medical biotechnology – students gain knowledge and skills to work in both the biotechnology industry and biomedical science research. It is an exciting and rapidly evolving area, leading to development of a new generation of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, hormones and anti-inflammatory agents using this technology. Environmental biotechnology – students gain knowledge and skills to address environmental issues, such as the removal of pollution, renewable energy generation or biomass production, by exploiting biological processes. Students learn how to remediate contaminated sites, develop more sustainable products (such as converting algae to fuel) or use microbes to manage waste. Computational biotechnology – bioinformatics or computational biotechnologists are in demand due to their combined expertise in biological sciences, statistics, mathematical modeling and database design. Students gain knowledge and skills in analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematical modeling and technology, to translate data and help make informed decisions. Biosensor technology – a biosensor is an analytical device that detects biological samples and then converts these responses into measureable data. An example of a biosensor application is the glucose meters, where a vast majority are developed based on electrochemical biosensor technology. Careers Career options vary according to the chosen major. Medical biotechnology: positions in laboratories or research labs developing new vaccines and medicines for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, hospitals, pathology and biomedical firms, universities, and research institutes. Environmental biotechnology: typical jobs include research associate, consultant, field scientist, microbiologist, conservation officer, environment officer, biotechnologist, and employment across a wide range of industries, creating new products or processes to conserve the environment. Computational biotechnology: roles include data analyst, data curator, database developer, statistician, mathematical modeler, bioinformatician, and software developer. Employment prospects are driven by pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries looking to take advantage of genomics data to usher in a new generation of pharmaceuticals. Other companies that have similar computational needs, such as Google, Face book and Netflix, also hire computational biotechnologists to manage their own versions of big data.