Genetic Engineer

Genetic Engineer

Plant genetic engineers create new varieties of plants, including row crops, vegetables and berries, forest and fruit trees, and ornamentals. These new varieties contain any number of new or improved traits, such as resistance to pests and diseases, resistance to poor growing conditions, resistance to herbicides, and improved nutrition, wood quality, storage characteristics, and horticultural traits. Plant genetic engineers are also modifying plants to produce industrial enzymes , biodegradable plastics, pharmaceutical products, and edible vaccines. Plant genetic engineers collaborate closely with molecular biologists to identify and clone the necessary genes, and with plant breeders, who breed these into improved plant varieties.

Genetic engineers are drawn to the discipline because of the power that creating new plant varieties has to help preserve crop yields, produce a better, healthier product for the consumer, and help safeguard the environment. Though some of the daily tasks can be routine and repetitive, the field is advancing rapidly, and mastering the new advances continuously provides challenges and prevents research and development from becoming routine.

Plant genetic engineers must have a strong background in biology, with an emphasis in botany, biochemistry, and genetics. An understanding of agriculture or forestry can be particularly helpful, especially for the selection of the traits to be modified. Plant genetic engineers begin with an undergraduate degree in one of the agricultural plant sciences, forestry, botany, genetics, biotechnology, or biochemistry, and many obtain an M.S. and/or a Ph.D. in these fields.

Those with B.S. and M.S. degrees usually work in a laboratory and handle the necessary deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), plant cell cultures, and analytical work. Those with a Ph.D. set research goals and determine research directions. Salary range depends strongly on educational level. In 1999, people with a B.S. or M.S. may have earned $20,000 to $30,000 for an entry-level position, while entry positions for a Ph.D. degree were in the vicinity of $50,000. Senior-level Ph.D. positions may have earned $150,000. Chief areas of employment would be research universities, biotechnology companies, forest products companies, and international research centers. The greatest amount of genetic engineering takes place in the United States and Europe. However, because plant genetic engineering is taking place in many places of the world, there may be employment opportunities throughout the world.

Very vocal groups of opponents to genetic engineering technology claim that genetic engineering will lead to genetic pollution, introduce toxins into the food supply, and damage the environment. Such opposition has led to bans on genetically engineered plants and food products in many countries, as well as an extensive patchwork of regulations. Sustained opposition to genetically engineered plants may limit employment opportunities in the future.

see also Breeder; Breeding; Genetic Engineering; Molecular Plant Genetics; Transgenic Plants.

Scott Merkle

Wayne Parrott