What does a biology laboratory assistant do?
A biology laboratory assistant is in charge of assisting scientists or researchers and performing laboratory support tasks on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include setting up and sanitizing equipment, preparing samples, maintaining documentation of all experiments and procedures, writing laboratory reports, and running errands as needed. There are also instances where they must update databases, answer calls and correspondence, and grade student papers. Furthermore, a biology laboratory assistant must maintain the cleanliness of laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
Biology laboratory assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real biology laboratory assistant resumes:
- Comfort frighten patients and maintain an exceptionally bright professional demeanor to accomplish a procedure that makes most people very uncomfortable.
- Set up gel electrophoresis, clean slides, run experiments.
- Prepare culture media and ELISA samples following standard procedures.
- Prepare stock solutions, media for growing bacteria and yeast, electrophoresis gels and pouring agar plates.
- Aid students independently with laboratory work regarding basic principles of evolution, genetics, ecology, and molecular and cellular biology.
- Supervise and train fellow colleagues in GC, GC-MS, ATR-IR, FTIR, UV/Vis and DSC.
- Monitor students and teach them use of analytical instrumentation techniques, such as IR spectrophotometry and mass spectrometry
Biology laboratory assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 38% of Biology Laboratory Assistants are proficient in Lab Equipment, Biology Laboratory, and Chemistry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Observational skills, Technical skills, and Analytical skills.
We break down the percentage of Biology Laboratory Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Lab Equipment, 38%
Prepared paperwork and subsequently arranged for pick up and disposal of antiquated lab equipment and/or other inventory items.
- Biology Laboratory, 6%
Managed biology laboratory equipment and materials, proctored lower level biology laboratory courses, tutored students, and graded assignments.
- Chemistry, 4%
Cleaned and reorganized chemistry stockroom shelves and inventory.
- Anatomy, 4%
Assisted with laboratory sessions and examinations for biology, botany, microbiology, and anatomy courses.
- Physiology, 3%
Coordinated activities for undergraduate students for weekly physiology lab requirements.
- Lab Experiments, 3%
Assisted students to understand biological concepts and utilize proper laboratory techniques during the Molecular Biology of Life lab experiments
"lab equipment," "biology laboratory," and "chemistry" are among the most common skills that biology laboratory assistants use at work. You can find even more biology laboratory assistant responsibilities below, including:
Observational skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a biology laboratory assistant to have is observational skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "biological technicians must constantly monitor their experiments." Biology laboratory assistants often use observational skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "set up computer lab systems construct low lighting device for astronomy observational deck"
Technical skills. Many biology laboratory assistant duties rely on technical skills. "biological technicians need to set up and operate sophisticated equipment and instruments," so a biology laboratory assistant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways biology laboratory assistant responsibilities rely on technical skills: "provided technical assistance in the isolation and sizing of bacterial dna plasmids. "
Analytical skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of biology laboratory assistants is analytical skills. This skill is critical to many everyday biology laboratory assistant duties, as "biological technicians need to conduct scientific experiments and analyses with accuracy and precision." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "prepared samples for analysis and performed pcr, ligations, and other routine laboratory procedures. "
Communication skills. For certain biology laboratory assistant responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "communication skills." The day-to-day duties of a biology laboratory assistant rely on this skill, as "biological technicians must understand and follow the instructions of their managing scientists." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what biology laboratory assistants do: "improved knowledge of computer systems and printer use, enhanced communication skills with others, upgraded knowledge of learning management systems. "
The three companies that hire the most biology laboratory assistants are:
- The State of Oregon5 biology laboratory assistants jobs
- OneBlood3 biology laboratory assistants jobs
- Resolve1 biology laboratory assistants jobs
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Compare different biology laboratory assistants
Biology laboratory assistant vs. Research fellow
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, biology laboratory assistant responsibilities require skills like "lab equipment," "biology laboratory," "anatomy," and "physiology." Meanwhile a typical research fellow has skills in areas such as "patients," "immunology," "crispr," and "python." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Research fellows earn the highest salaries when working in the non profits industry, with an average yearly salary of $57,261. On the other hand, biology laboratory assistants are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $53,128.On average, research fellows reach higher levels of education than biology laboratory assistants. Research fellows are 13.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 30.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Biology laboratory assistant vs. Research technician
A research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real biology laboratory assistant resumes. While biology laboratory assistant responsibilities can utilize skills like "biology laboratory," "chemistry," "anatomy," and "physiology," research technicians use skills like "patients," "laboratory equipment," "data entry," and "tissue culture."
Research technicians may earn a higher salary than biology laboratory assistants, but research technicians earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $51,020. On the other hand, biology laboratory assistants receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $53,128.In general, research technicians achieve higher levels of education than biology laboratory assistants. They're 6.3% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 30.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Biology laboratory assistant vs. Research and development technician
A research and development technician specializes in performing mathematical and laboratory operations to support projects concerning products and development. Usually functioning as an assistant to a more experienced researcher, a research and development technician's responsibilities revolve around conducting analysis, building models and prototypes, producing reports, and performing various experiments. Furthermore, as a technician, it is crucial to coordinate with all team members, keeping an accurate record of all processes while adhering to the company's standards and regulations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, biology laboratory assistants are more likely to have skills like "biology laboratory," "chemistry," "anatomy," and "physiology." But a research and development technician is more likely to have skills like "r," "project management," "product management," and "product development."
Research and development technicians make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $95,084. On the other hand, biology laboratory assistants are paid the highest salary in the government industry, with average annual pay of $53,128.research and development technicians typically earn higher educational levels compared to biology laboratory assistants. Specifically, they're 6.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Biology laboratory assistant vs. Research scientist
The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.
Types of biology laboratory assistant
Updated January 8, 2025
