What does a biology research assistant do?

A laboratory intern is responsible for assisting laboratory operations and perform examinations and experiments under the supervision of tenured laboratory staff. Laboratory interns shadow all the laboratory processes, document their observations, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the results. They must have excellent knowledge of scientific procedures, demonstrating their class learnings to practical applications. A laboratory intern must be detail-oriented, especially on conducting and verifying the accuracy of research materials. It is also required for a laboratory intern to be a fast-learner, understanding the scientific complexities to master various approaches.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a biology research assistant are more likely to require skills like "animal handling," "tissue culture," "extraction," and "cell biology." On the other hand, a job as a laboratory internship requires skills like "lab procedures," "c++," "linux," and "test results." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Research laboratory technicians play a vital role in scientific laboratories. They perform varied duties and responsibilities, which include setting up, operating, and maintaining the laboratory equipment, assisting in laboratory-based research activities such as sampling, testing, and analyzing results, and providing technical support to the laboratory team members. In addition, they are expected to support the development and advancement of science and modern medicine. Other typical duties of research laboratory technicians include preparing samples and specimens, keeping abreast with current technical developments, and ensuring strict compliance with safety procedures.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that biology research assistant responsibilities requires skills like "analyze data," "lab notebook," "dna," and "rna." But a research laboratory technician might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patients," "research data," "flow cytometry," and "laboratory experiments."

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.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from biology research assistant resumes include skills like "laboratory equipment," "laboratory techniques," "analyze data," and "tissue culture," whereas a research fellow is more likely to list skills in "patients," "immunology," "c++," and "public health. "

An Assistant Research Scientist assists in planning, conducting, and analyzing various research projects. They also order and manage lab inventory, materials, and equipment.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between biology research assistants and assistant research scientists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a biology research assistant might have more use for skills like "laboratory techniques," "animal handling," "tissue culture," and "laboratory procedures." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of assistant research scientists require skills like "literature reviews," "sample preparation," "scientific papers," and "informed consent. "