Animal Biotechnology involves applications of scientific, computational engineering and bioinformatics principles to genetically engineer animals in order to improve their suitability for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. It deals with monitoring the nutrition, health and reproduction of animals. The field has been influential in producing genetically altered animals that synthesize therapeutic proteins, have improved growth rates or are resistant to disease. The subject has wider applications in the agricultural field as well. The students with a strong base in Biotechnology having a scientific zeal for research can opt for a career in the highly demanding field.
Responsibilities of an Animal Biotechnologist
A highly sophisticated job profile, an Animal Biotechnologist performs an array of roles that demand a great level of dedication and experience. The professionals perform experiments on genetic modification of animals to improve their growth rates, decrease mortality rates, and for various other purposes. Some of the roles that a professional with expertise in Animal Biotechnology perform are listed below:
- Communicate vital information to veterinarians and fellow scientists.
- Oversee and perform tasks like insemination, heat detection and schedule of the herd.
- Maintaining records of procedures and experiment data.
- Investigating nutritional disorders in animals and preparing nutritional plans for them.
- Maintenance and sterilization of equipment and machinery.
- Giving details for procuring new products and equipment.
- Ensuring that due procedures are followed as per the set regulations.
- Collecting and studying the samples such as food, cells, tissues, blood samples, bacteria cultures and living organisms for testing.
Animal Biotechnology Subjects
- Fundamentals of Cell & Molecular Biology
- Animal Cell Culture: Principles & applications
- Immunology applied to Biotechnology
- Reproductive Biotechnology
- Animal Genomics
- Applied Molecular Biology
- Techniques in Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Biochemistry
- Immunobiology
- Molecular Biology-II and Gene Manipulation
- Endocrinology and Reproductive Biology
Animal Biotechnology Courses
Generally, a course or a degree program in Agriculture is required to build a career in the field. But to be well-versed with the intricacies of the domain, a range of specialized courses are there to choose from. Universities all over the world are known for offering exhaustive courses in the subfield of Biotechnology. The coursework for the subject is designed to give students in-depth knowledge about the concepts like Anatomy, Behavior, Laboratory Science, Physiology, Reproduction, Ration Formulation, Livestock Production, Nutrition, Agricultural Marketing, Biology, Chemistry, and Statistics. The bachelor’s courses span over 3 to 4 years while the master’s courses in the universities abroad will take you 1 to 2 years to complete. Some of the renowned universities offering courses in this domain-
Course | Duration |
Bachelor of Animal Science (Animal Genetics and Breeding) | 3 years |
Concurrent BS in Animal Science/MS in Animal Breeding and Genetics | 5 years |
MSc in Animal Sciences – Genetics and Biodiversity | 2 years |
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSAG) in Animal Science: Animal Biotechnology | 4 years |
Master of Science in Animal Biotechnology | 1-2 years |
Eligibility Criteria
To enrol in courses of this field, here are some of the pointers related to admission criteria-
- For UG degree: Formal education of 10+2 from a recognized institutes with BiPC Subjects
- For PG degree: A UG degree in Biotechnology or anyother related fields with minimum required marks
- You may have to qualify SAT or ACT for UG courses and GRE for PG courses
- Along with this, a good score in IELTS, TOEFL, etc
- LOR and SOP
Top Universities for Animal Biotechnology
Here is a list of top universities that offer courses in this field-
- Massey University
- Iowa State University
- Wageningen University and Research Centre
- Oklahoma State University – Stillwater
- Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
- Harvard University
- Stanford University
- National University of Singapore
- University of Toronto
- University of Queensland
- RWTH Aachen
- Universitt Freiburg
Animal Biotechnology Scope
This is are relatively newer field and is on rapid growth with trends suggesting that in coming years, the jobs in the field are likely to increase. A myriad of job openings is available in both the private and government sector. Right after your bachelor’s degree, you can apply for entry-level jobs but if you want to delve into the deeper knowledge of the subject and increase your earning potential, then a master’s degree is a better option. Talking about the scope of Biotechnology, the subfield has diverse applications and broader career prospects.
Job Prfiles
- Animal Biotechnology- Research Associate
- Animal Biotechnology- Assistant Professor
- Laboratory Attendent
- Engineer
- Medical Coder
- Research Officer
Top Companies
- CK Group
- Merck
- Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute
- Genetix Biotech Asia Pvt. Ltd
- Axiva Sichem Biotech
- Clementia Biotech
- Arsh Biotech
- Chemeric Biotech
- CelluGen Biotech
- Bindlysh Biotec Private Limited
- Osiante Biotech
- Indovax Lab
Animal Biotechnologist Salary
On average the professionals in the field earn INR 5,00,000-7,00,000 Lakh a year in India but in countries like the US and UK, the salary packages are relatively higher.
Popular Books
- Animal Biotechnology by N. Arumugam and V. Kumaresan (Buy Here)
- Animal Biotechnology- 2nd Edition by Ashish Verma Anchal Singh (Buy Here)
- Textbook of Animal Biotechnology by B Singh (Buy Here)
- Animal Biotechnology by PK Gupta (Buy Here)
- Animal Biotechnology by Ranga M M (Buy Here)
- Animal Cell Culture: Practical Approach by Masters J R W (Buy Here)
- Animal Biotechnology by V Kumaresan (Buy Here)
- Animal Biotechnology by Manjula Shenoy (Buy Here)
- Animal Biotechnology by R Sasidhara (Buy Here)
- Text Book Of Animal Biotechnology by P R Yadav (Buy Here)
- Animal Biotechnology by Varun Mehta (Buy Here)
FAQs
Examples of Animal Biotechnology are- creating transgenic animals, producing nearly identical animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer and using gene knockout technology to make animals with a specific inactivated gene.
Students who pursue UG and PG courses in this field, can take up jobs like Animal Biotechnology- Research Associate, Animal Biotechnology- Assistant Professor, Laboratory Attendant, etc.
Károly Ereky (20 October 1878 – 17 June 1952), a Hungarian and Agriculture Engineer is known as the father of Animal Biotechnology.
For improving the breeding stocks of animals, techniques like artificial insemination (AI), embryo transfer (ET), in-vitro fertilization (IVF), etc are used.
Improving animal health and increasing livestock productivity are the most important features of Animal Biotechnology.
Pursuing a course in Animal Biotechnology is set to propel you towards a successful career in the field. If you are looking for courses that guarantee your overall development as a professional with a sound understanding of the subject, then reach out to our professional career counsellors at Leverage Edu. Using sophisticated AI-tool, our experts will find the best courses at the top universities around the world. Book your 30 minutes free counselling session with us now!