Your tasks will vary by industry

In the pharmaceutical, food or brewing industries, your work will include:

• developing new products
• monitoring production
• quality control
• checking the safety of existing products

In a hospital, public health laboratory or research institute, your work will include:

• carrying out tests on blood
• researching the causes of disease
• exploring new methods of treatment

In agriculture and the environment, your work will include:

• genetically engineering plants to create pest-resistant crops
• improving the quantity of crops
• developing and extending the shelf life of produce
• monitoring the effects of pollution on the environment

As a biochemist in education, you could work in universities or colleges, or medical, veterinary or dental schools.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work at a research facility, in a laboratory or at a university.

With experience, you could become a team leader or manager, running a department, or move into research, sales and marketing, or scientific journalism.