Science Research

Continuing with the theme of amazing new fields of science research and employment in disease control and virology, we bring you other areas in which demand is growing. The increasing prevalence of super-bugs and the use of disease in bio terrorism have prompted in part, the growth of this industry. The combination of a super-bug, or even a more traditional bug (the smallpox virus still lives in two labs in the world), and biological warfare could be as devastating to the world as a nuclear bomb. As such continued research into the development and containment of viruses is imperative to human existence.

Beneficial Use of Bugs

One of the fascinating aspects of virology is the beneficial use of bugs. Something most people aren’t even aware of is that because bugs are directed by evolution they can actually be tailored to suit a variety of purposes. In fact, because of their size, shape, and well-defined chemical structures, viruses have been used as templates for organizing materials on nanoscale (nanotech is a whole other fantastic subject). For example the protein coat of the tobacco mosaic virus has been explored extensively for the construction of nanoscale architectures. The opportunities for qualified researchers in these areas are phenomenal.

Future Careers

A future career in virology might include employment within the public health system, medicine, national defence, science and research or even for the pharmaceutical companies or in education. The options are excellent and so is the pay. Chances are that work will remain interesting as the nature and sophistication of the field evolves. In addition there are great opportunities for occupational transition from one area of virology and disease control across to others; for instance from research to public health or visa versa. For university students currently in science programs the world really is your oyster.