Career opportunities in Plant Science and Biotechnology in Nigeria…
Plant science encompasses Botany in the sense that it involves the observation of plant growth and characteristics and investigation into the relationship between plants and their environment.
Plant science is the term given to a range of research and scientific studies that explore the estimated 410,000 species of land plants found on the earth.
Botany is the classical study of plants while Plant Science is the modern study of plants. The major areas of plant science include; Plant Anatomy, Plant Morphology and Evolution, Plant Physiology, and Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Plant Science and Biotechnology which can also be interchangeably called Plant Biotechnology can be seen as the use of tissue culture and genetic engineering techniques to produce genetically modified plants that exhibit new or improved desirable characteristics.
Among the major streams of Biotechnology, plant Biotechnology has shown tremendous growth over the last few decades and illuminates the lives of many by offering abundant career prospects besides helping to confront daunting food challenges in developing counties like Nigeria.
A graduate of Plant science and Biotechnology can work in;
1. Agriculture
2. Food Industry
3. Research Institutions
4. Medical institutions
5. Pharmaceutical companies
6. Oil companies
7. NAFDAC, SON and other quality control agencies
8. Education sector
9. Business organizations
10. Botanical gardens and Arboretums
11. Lumber companies
12. Forestry agencies
EDUCATION SECTOR;
Plant Biotechnologists work at colleges, universities, non-profit organizations and museums teaching about plants, plant genetics, Botany, and other aspects of Plant science. They may also actively be involved in research.
BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS;
Plant Biotechnologist help companies and investment firms to evaluate a particular scientific or plant market to guide their strategies and decisions For example, a business analyst with a background in Pant Biotechnologists may help an investment firm to decide whether or not to financially support a biotechnology start-up.
OIL COMPANIES;
Plant Biotechnologists play their part in oil detection and exploration by analyzing the species and quantity of fossilized plants at certain depths and locations. They are also employed to genetically engineer plants which can reduce pollution by absorbing more carbon dioxide and restoring land destroyed by drilling and oil spills.
RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS;
Plant Biotechnologists can work in research institutions to develop different techniques to better study plants such as the use of Nanotechnology in Biotechnology, genetic engineering in plants and help to provide better ways to get more out of plants and plant materials.
FOOD INDUSTRY;
Plant Biotechnology can help to reduce a number of undesirable food components such as one of the major allergenic proteins in rice or the major allergen in peanut or soybeans. Components such as caffeine from coffee beans can be eliminated or reduced to provide a coffee with no or very low caffeine level without using chemical extraction.
A person working as Bioengineer in Nigeria typically earns about 285,000 naira per month. Salaries range from 148,000 naira to 436,000 naira (including hosing, transports, and other benefits).
Olayinka Shyllon
Image Credit: Leverage Edu
