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Geneticists

Research and study the inheritance of traits at the molecular, organism or population level. May evaluate or treat patients with genetic disorders.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Instruct medical students, graduate students, or others in methods or procedures for diagnosis and management of genetic disorders.
    • Create or use statistical models for the analysis of genetic data.
    • Evaluate genetic data by performing appropriate mathematical or statistical calculations and analyses.
    • Write grants and papers or attend fundraising events to seek research funds.
    • Plan or conduct basic genomic and biological research related to areas such as regulation of gene expression, protein interactions, metabolic networks, and nucleic acid or protein complexes.
    • Review, approve, or interpret genetic laboratory results.
    • Plan curatorial programs for species collections that include acquisition, distribution, maintenance, or regeneration.
    • Evaluate, diagnose, or treat genetic diseases.
    • Search scientific literature to select and modify methods and procedures most appropriate for genetic research goals.
    • Extract deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or perform diagnostic tests involving processes such as gel electrophoresis, Southern blot analysis, and polymerase chain reaction analysis.
    • Analyze determinants responsible for specific inherited traits, and devise methods for altering traits or producing new traits.
    • Participate in the development of endangered species breeding programs or species survival plans.
    • Conduct family medical studies to evaluate the genetic basis for traits or diseases.
    • Prepare results of experimental findings for presentation at professional conferences or in scientific journals.
    • Attend clinical and research conferences and read scientific literature to keep abreast of technological advances and current genetic research findings.
    • Maintain laboratory safety programs and train personnel in laboratory safety techniques.
    • Verify that cytogenetic, molecular genetic, and related equipment and instrumentation is maintained in working condition to ensure accuracy and quality of experimental results.
    • Plan or conduct basic genomic and biological research related to areas such as regulation of gene expression, protein interactions, metabolic networks, and nucleic acid or protein complexes.
    • Attend clinical and research conferences and read scientific literature to keep abreast of technological advances and current genetic research findings.
    • Design and maintain genetics computer databases.
    • Collaborate with biologists and other professionals to conduct appropriate genetic and biochemical analyses.
    • Develop protocols to improve existing genetic techniques or to incorporate new diagnostic procedures.
    • Confer with information technology specialists to develop computer applications for genetic data analysis.
    • Maintain laboratory notebooks that record research methods, procedures, and results.
    • Confer with information technology specialists to develop computer applications for genetic data analysis.
    • Supervise or direct the work of other geneticists, biologists, technicians, or biometricians working on genetics research projects.
    • Design sampling plans or coordinate the field collection of samples such as tissue specimens.

    Skills

    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    Abilities

    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    Knowledge

    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Chemistry
      • 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, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    Education

    Education
    Bachelor's degree
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    96120/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    46.21/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    1,790
    Yearly Projected Openings
    180

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Innovation
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail

    Tools

    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Desktop computers
    • Dropping pipettes
    • Electron guns
    • Gas chromatographs
    • Gel documentation systems
    • Goggles
    • High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography
    • Instrumentation for capillary electrophoresis
    • Liquid chromatographs
    • Mass spectrometers
    • Microbiology analyzers
    • Microplate readers
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Protective gloves
    • Rapid amplification or complementary deoxyribonucleic acid ends RACE technology products
    • Robotic or automated liquid handling systems

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Application server software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Data mining software
    • Development environment software
    • Electronic mail software
    • File versioning software
    • Internet browser software
    • Medical software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software