Biotechnology and Nanotechnology are behind many innovations of this century and continue to relate even more closely to simple facets of life. Specialists shared their views for students of today wishing to be Bio and Nano scientists of tomorrow.


‘Scientists who speak multiple languages’
Dr Joe Shapter, Professor of Nanotechnology at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, said that “the most successful scientists are those who can speak multiple languages; specialising in a certain area and also having a breadth of knowledge across disciplines to better understand problems from various angles.” The first university in the world to offer a Bachelor Degree in Nanotechnology, Flinders University’s strength is in its strong science and related fields including intellectual property and economics, providing graduates with insights beyond a Nano science stream.  Associate Professor Dr Brian Usher from the Faculty of Science, Technology, and Engineering at La Trobe University, Australia, confirmed that interdisciplinary skills are highly sought by employers. The Nanotechnology program at La Trobe University skills students in physics and mathematics, chemistry and the experimental techniques associated with Nanotechnology, preparing students for the stimulating jobs emerging in these fields. He said that “many of the greatest inventions did not come from targeted research but from ‘Blue Skies Research’ or research driven by curiosity and unclear goals which demanded skills across various disciplines”.

As a multidisciplinary approach is crucial to success, Swinburne University, Melbourne, offers programs that tackle a wide variety of issues and applications in Biotechnology and Nanotechnology through a number of courses including its Bachelor and Master of Science in Biotechnology as well as multidisciplinary programs such as Advanced Manufacturing Technology which includes Nanotechnology units. The Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute (Bio21 Institute) at The University of Melbourne is a research centre that embraces multidisciplinary approaches with specialisations in medical, agricultural and environmental biotechnology. The University of Melbourne offers Master of Science in Biotechnology and Nanotechnology with industry projects that provide students with real work experiences.

‘Building the future via connections’
Sri-anant Wanasen, a Research Assistant at Thailand’s National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) is undertaking her PhD study focusing on Food Biotechnology and Food Safety at The University of Tasmania, Australia, under the Endeavour Awards program. She said that networking with other research students and researchers is significant. “My advisors introduced me to many researchers who work in the same area. This has been very useful for bringing a large number of different dimensions to my research”, she said.

‘Demand for today and tomorrow’
Professor Shapter said that the demand for a nanotechnology workforce has changed from research scientists in research organisations to requirement for research and development scientists across a huge range of industries; thus employment opportunities are extensive and potentially inexhaustive. Sri-anant added that specialists in biotechnology especially Food Biotechnology and Food Safety will be in demand in Thailand as Food is a major industry supporting Thailand’s economy.