Entry Level Qualification 

12

Career Fields 

Engineering & Technology

For Specially Abled 

Career Entrance Exam 

JEE MAIN BE/BTECH, JEE ADVANCED, GATE

About Career 

A Biochemical Engineer is a specialist who designs, develops, tests, commissions, operates and controls various production or manufacturing processes that involve biological organisms or organic molecules. They work in different fields like biofuels, food, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, water treatment, etc. Biochemical engineer uses the knowledge of both chemical engineering and biological engineering.

As a Biochemical Engineer, you will also be dealing with the growth and development of various organisms for producing various products such as food and medicines. You will deal with metabolism, fermentation, mass transfer and enzyme technology.

Key roles and responsibilities

As a Biochemical Engineer, depending on your field of specialisation, you would have the following roles and responsibilities:

1. You will prepare technical reports, prepare documents of data summary, prepare research articles for scientific journals, prepare submissions and patent applications.

2. You will work to create new scalable recovery, purification, or fermentation processes so that proteins and other biological substances can be produced for human or animal for therapeutic use, food production or processing, biofuels, or effluent treatment.

3. You will be maintaining databases of experiment results. 

4. You will keep yourself updated with the scientific, industrial and technological advances by reading current scientific literature.

5. You will develop methods to transfer procedures or biological processes from las to commercial manufacturing plants.

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology (optional) and Mathematics along with any other subject as per scheme of studies – UG in Biochemical Engineering

After your Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology (optional) and Mathematics along with any other subject as per scheme of studies and then study for an undergraduate degree in Biochemical Engineering

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology (optional) and Mathematics along with any other subject as per scheme of studies – UG in Biochemical Engineering / Chemical Engineering / Food Engineering/ Similar field – PG in Biochemical Engineering

After your Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology (optional) and Mathematics along with any other subject as per scheme of studies and then study for an undergraduate degree in Biochemical Engineering / Chemical Engineering/ Food Engineering / Similar field followed by a master’s degree in Biochemical Engineering.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology (optional) and Mathematics along with any other subject as per scheme of studies – UG in Biochemical Engineering / Chemical Engineering / Food Engineering/ Similar field – PG in Biochemical Engineering – Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering

After your Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology (optional) and Mathematics along with any other subject as per scheme of studies then study for an undergraduate degree in Biochemical Engineering / Chemical Engineering/ Food Engineering / Similar field followed by a post-graduate degree in Biochemical Engineering. Further, you can take Biochemical Engineering in Ph.D. and complete the doctoral degree.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology (optional) and Mathematics along with any other subject as per scheme of studies – UG in Biochemical Engineering – Dual PG and Doctoral Degree in Biochemical Engineering

After your Class 11-12 Physics, Chemistry, Biology (optional) and Mathematics along with any other subject as per scheme of studies, study for an undergraduate degree in Biochemical Engineering followed by a post-graduate and Ph.D. (dual degree) in Biochemical Engineering.

Required Qualification & Competencies 

You can do a Bachelor degree in Biochemical Engineering / Bioengineering / Bioprocessing Engineering / Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering / Chemical Engineering / in a similar field. After your Bachelor’s, you may opt to do a Master’s in:

1. Biochemical Engineering

2. Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology

3. Bioengineering

4. Bioprocess Technologies

If you want to get into research, you can do a Ph.D. in any of the above fields.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

Interests

1. Investigative: You should have interests for Investigative Occupations. Investigative occupations involve working with ideas and quite a lot of thinking, often abstract or conceptual thinking. These involve learning about facts and figures; involve use of data analysis, assessment of situations, decision making and problem solving.

2. Realistic: You should have interests for Realistic Occupations. Realistic occupations involve more practical and hands-on activities than paperwork or office work. Realistic occupations often involve physical activities for getting things done using various tools and equipment. 

Abilities

1. Abstract Reasoning: The ability to understand ideas which are not expressed in words or numbers; the ability to understand concepts which are not clearly expressed verbally or otherwise.

2. Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules and common logic to specific problems to produce answers that are logical and make sense. For example, understanding the reasons behind an event or a situation using general rules and common logic.

3. Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden among other distracting materials.

4. Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information from various sources, concepts, and theories to form general rules or conclusions. For example, analysing various events or situations to come out with a set of rules or conclusions.

5. Inter-Personal:  The ability to build and maintain good relationships with others at workplaces and elsewhere.

6. Naturalistic Intelligence: The ability to recognise different flora and fauna of the world; sensitivity towards nature and natural surrounding; sensitivity towards the needs of different flora and fauna.

7. Numerical Reasoning: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and perform other basic numerical calculations correctly.

8. Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or innovative ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

9. Spatial Ability: The ability to visualise three dimensional objects by looking at the objects in paper or visualise objects mentally in three dimensions.

10. Verbal Reasoning: The ability to think and reason with words; the ability to reason out ideas expressed in words.

11. Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Knowledge

1. Biological Sciences: Knowledge of plants and animals, their anatomical structure, cell structure, tissues, physiological functions, evolution, and all other related aspects.

2. Chemical Science: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, toxicity, production techniques, and disposal methods.

3. Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of various applications of one or more branches of Engineering Science & Technology to manufacture and produce various goods or construct or erect various structures. This include knowledge about design, development, prototype testing, manufacturing, construction, installation, repair and maintenance.

4. Physical Science: Knowledge of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understand fluid, material, earth, ocean, atmosphere, and space dynamics, as well as mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures, properties and processes.

5. Technical and Engineering Design: Knowledge of various techniques, methods, specifications and tools for creating, developing and laying out designs of various machines, equipment, devices, manufacturing plants, structures, systems and processes. This includes developing blueprints, drawing and models.

Skills

1. Active Learning: Focused and continuous learning from various sources of information, observation and otherwise for application in getting work done.

2. Coordination: Skills in working together with other people to get things done.

3. Critical Thinking: Skills in analysis of complex situations, using of logic and reasoning to understand the situations and take appropriate actions or make interpretations and inferences.

4. Judgment and Decision Making: Skills in considering pros and cons of various decision alternatives; considering costs and benefits; taking appropriate and suitable decisions.

5. Operations and Process Analysis: Skills in analysis of operations and processes such as industrial manufacturing, chemical processing, etc. so as to device better and more efficient operational processes and systems.

6. Problem Solving: Skills in analysis and understanding of problems, evaluating various options to solve the problems and using the best option to solve the problems.

7. Process and Operation Controlling: Skills in controlling processes and operations of various machines, equipment, devices and systems using different types electrical and electronic control instruments and systems.

8. Quality Control Analysis: Skills in conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

9. Reading Comprehension: Skills in understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

10. Scientific: Skills in using various scientific rules and methods to get things done or solve problems.

11. Technical: Skills in using various technologies and technical methods to get things done or solve problems.

12. Technical Design and Drawing: Skills in creating and developing designs and drawings for various structures, machines, equipment, and devices.

Personality

1. You are always or mostly organised in your day-to-day life and activities.

2. You are a soft-hearted person sometimes.

3. You trust others sometimes but not always.

4. You are helpful to others sometimes.

5. You prefer to experience new things and have new experiences sometimes.

6. You act independently sometimes but do not do so in some other times.

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

1. You will mostly find work as a Graduate Engineer Trainee at the beginning with bioprocessing, food processing and pharmaceutical industry.

2. If you are into teaching, then you may join college or university at the profile of an assistant professor after your Ph.D.

3. If you are into research, then you can join a research institute at the role of research associate after your Master’s degree.

4. If you are into scientific research, then you can join as a Scientist with Grade “C”.

You can find job opportunities at the following facilities:

1. Companies in bioprocessing, food processing and pharmaceutical industry such a Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), Pfizer, Novartis, ITC Foods, Hindustan Unilever, etc.

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2. Research and development institutions.

3. Engineering colleges and institutes offering courses in biochemical engineering.

Work Environment

Biochemical Engineers mostly work in the research labs and manufacturing units. In the research labs, they work in an environment of extreme intensity. Thus, as a biochemical engineer, you will be working in an environment with patience. If you are in manufacturing units, you will be involved in manufacturing processes. These can be difficult to handle due to complexity. You would be required to manage local teams as well.

SPECIALISATION TRACKS IN THIS CAREER

1. Food Engineer

Food engineer is a specialist who uses the knowledge of agriculture engineering, mechanical engineering and chemical engineering to food materials. They work to product cost effective and yet commercially viable methods of food products and services. They may work in food processes, food packaging, instrumentation or quality control.

2. Food Biotechnologist

Food biotechnologist is a speciality who work to modify genes of food sources. These food sources can be animals, plants or microorganisms. Food Biotechnologist thus creates new species of animals and plants (normally that humans consume). These new species are more nutritional, more productive and of more marketing properties. This food biotechnologist improves the food taste, more endured, more diseases resistant and more nutritional.

3. Protein Engineer

Protein engineer is a specialist who produces valuable and useful proteins. These proteins are used in the food industry, medicine industry, etc.

CAREER GROWTH

1. From a Graduate Engineer Trainee, you can get promotion into the position of an Assistant Engineer, then an Engineer, and finally as a Senior Engineer. You can then grow into a Principal Engineer or Plant Engineer or Project Engineer. You can grow into senior leadership roles as a General Manager/ Vice President/ Executive Engineer/ similar roles.

2. In Sales and Marketing, you can start as a Sales Engineer and then become a Senior Sales Engineer, Area Sales Head, Regional Sales Head, and finally, National Sales Head.  You may move into Marketing as a Marketing Manager and then grow into further leadership roles.

3. Research laboratories will hire you as a scientist/scientist officer with the lowest grade and the grade changes from low to high. In India, grades are “Scientist “C” as the joining level and then D, E, F, G, H, etc. A senior-level scientist can also get into administrative positions like Principal Scientist, Assistant Director, Deputy Director, Director, etc.

4. The career growth in university and college states from Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor, Professor and Professor Emeritus. Professors can also get administrative positions such as Director/Dean/Vice Chancellor, etc.

5. If you are hired as a research associate (JRF and SRF), then you will go on to become a Doctoral Research Fellow, then Post-Doctoral Research Fellow and then Scientist in Progressive Grades.

Salary Offered  

1. As a Graduate Engineer Trainee, you will get about Rs. 30,000 – 50,000 a month. As an Assistant Engineer, you will earn about Rs. 40,000-65,000 or more per month.

2. As a Research Fellow, you will earn about Rs. 35,000 – 38,000 a month. As a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, you will earn about Rs. 40,000 – 50,000 a month.

3. At the entry level, as a Scientist (grade C) you would be earning around Rs. 80,000 to 100,000 per month.

4. As an assistant professor, you would be earning anything between Rs. 65,000 to 70,000 per month.

5. At the junior level with a work experience of 2-6 years, you would be earning anything between Rs. 70,000 to 1,40,000 per month.

6. At the middle level with an experience of 10-12 years, you would be earning anything between Rs. 1,40,000 to 1,90,000 per month as a scientist and Rs. 1,20,000 to 1,60,000 as a professor. As a sales/ marketing executive, you might earn anything between Rs. 50,000 to 1,50,000 per month.

7. At the senior level of over 15 years of work experience, you would be earning anything between Rs. 1,60,000 to 2,00,000 per month as a professor and Rs. 2,10,000 to 2,50,000 per month as a Scientist or an Engineer.

MONTHLY EARNINGS IN INDIAN RUPEE 

1. Entry level: 0 - 2 years of work experience

2. Junior Level: From 1 to 12 years of work experience

3. Mid Level: From 5 to 20+ years of work experience

4. Senior Level: From 10 to 25+ years of work experience (there could be exceptions in some high-end technical, financial, engineering, creative, management, sports, and other careers; also in the near future, people will reach these levels much faster in many careers and in some careers, these levels will have no meaning as those careers will be completely tech skill driven such as even now, there is almost no level in a Cyber Security Expert’s job).

Famous Personalities 

Information not available.

Work Activities 

1. Analysing and interpreting data and information: Analysis of data and information to find facts, trends, reasons behind situations, etc.; interpretation of data to aid in decision making.

2. Communicating with co-workers and others: Communicating with people in writing, verbally or otherwise inside your workplace and various other people who have professional relationships with your place of work including vendors, government officials, etc. or with people at large.

3. Decision making and problem solving: Analysis of data and information; evaluation of alternative decisions and results of decisions; taking the right decisions and solving problems.

4. Getting Information and learning: Observing, hearing, reading, using computers, or otherwise obtaining information and learning from it.

5. Inspecting equipment, systems, structures, and materials: Inspecting equipment, systems, structures, and materials to ascertain quality, performance, defects, causes of errors, etc.

6. Inspecting situations, events, and people: Inspecting situations, events and people to understand the reasons and causes for the situation or events to happen; inspecting people to understand reasons behind their behaviour and actions.

7. Organising, planning and prioritising tasks: Planning and organising tasks in order to achieve work goals; prioritising tasks to achieve goals and making the best use of the time available.

8. Updating and using relevant knowledge: Keeping updated with the latest knowledge relevant to your fields of work and use of the relevant knowledge in getting things done.

9. Using computers for work: Using computers for day-to-day office work; using computer software for various applications in day-to-day professional work; entering data and process information; for writing.

10. Working in a team: Working in a team of people; developing team; maintaining professional relationships among team members.