Study Molecular Biotechnology

Working with the building blocks of life

Molecular Biotechnology is about the application of biological science at the molecular level. It is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing fields of science, and is a fundamental component of modern biology. It is already used widely in manufacturing insulin for diabetics, vaccines, and a range of other biomedical products.

In the future, these technologies will continue to advance in areas such as developing new treatments for diseases and biological solutions for environmental problems.

The University of Otago's Bachelor of Applied Science (BAppSc) in Molecular Biotechnology provides you with a multidisciplinary mix of scientific knowledge—skills that will set you up to make the most of commercial opportunities which abound in this fast-growing industry or to focus on an interdisciplinary area of study.

What career opportunities will this major enable?

International demand for well-trained molecular biotechnologists is enormous and increasing by the day. As opportunities in biotechnology in New Zealand continue to grow, particularly in healthcare innovation and the primary industries, emerging biotechnology companies are flourishing.

Graduates could find themselves cloning genes to identify new pharmaceuticals, or expressing commercially important proteins in recombinant systems, such as in new vaccines in bacterial, yeast, or animal cells. Or they may help develop identifying markers for beneficial traits in animals or diseases in humans, or work in areas like vaccine development, genomic analysis, or patenting. As well as employment in Crown Research Institutes, there are huge opportunities in the commercial sector.

What background is required?

There is some flexibility in entry requirements for Molecular Biotechnology, but clear passes in Year 13 Biology and Chemistry are needed. Entry into the second year is dependent on a good grade average in the first year course.

Further information

Please contact:

Professor Julian Eaton-Rye
Department of Biochemistry
Tel 64 3 479 7865
Email julian.eaton-rye@otago.ac.nz