Research Laboratory Technician
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What Is A Research Laboratory Technician?
Simply put, a research lab technician is a highly trained expert who assists in the advancement of scientific knowledge in a research environment. For an inquiring mind interested in the pursuit of new technologies, understanding the functions of complex organisms, or building towards a world of healthier plants, animals, and people, a career as a research laboratory technician may be the answer.
Working in agriculture and food laboratories across the province and throughout the country technicians provide expertise and skills in chemistry, microbiology, genetics, virology, ecology, cellular health, environmental sciences, and a wide range of other biological sciences impacting the agriculture and food industry. From labs operated by the Federal government to University research facilities to private industry labs developing advanced commercial products, technicians fill an important role to ensure that Canadian foods are safe to eat, efficient to grow, and have a minimal impact on the environment. Plants, animals, and the ecology of primary production are the focus of testing, evaluation, and monitoring to better understand the science of agriculture and food in Canada.
What Does A Research Laboratory Technician Do?
A peek inside a laboratory reveals far too many tasks to simply list them here. Check out our collection of mini profiles highlighting a variety of specific lab types and some of the jobs performed there. For now, these include:
In general, a research lab technician is relied upon to carry out the bulk of the scientific processes, lab work, and data collection. In most labs, a chief scientist will run the overall operation. A chief scientist will usually have a PhD in her field of study and be in charge of the direction of the lab’s research, guiding the overall focus of the lab, applying for funding, managing budgets, and most importantly analyzing, reporting, and publishing the results of the lab work. The job of the technician is to provide expert support to the scientist providing reliable results and managing the lab safety and efficiency to make the best use of (often) limited funds. In other words, the lab techs have all the fun working in the field, preparing experiments or studies, and generally doing the hands-on science of laboratory research.
Technicians often know what kinds of test to perform to get the results required by an experiment, balancing the scientific process along the way. Depending on the nature of the research, a tech may be called upon to design an experiment or experimental procedure to measure a new or novel problem, working to develop better tests and procedures for scientific research. Some other common tasks of a research laboratory technician may include sample collection, sample preparation, working with laboratory equipment, collecting data, ordering supplies, managing other staff, and keeping up clean, safe, and efficient best practices for a laboratory setting.
Education And Experience
Education is key to this kind of career as most reputable labs will require a post secondary certification – if not a bachelors or masters in a related scientific field. This can mean upwards of four or six years of school beyond high school. A research laboratory technician would benefit from experience working with the object of his study; that is, working as a tech in an animal physiology lab would benefit from large animal handling experience, and so on.
The Future
Supporting the role of government, educational research, and private industry research it is difficult to predict that there will be any shortage in demand for qualified research lab technicians in the near future. In the areas of agriculture, resource management, environmental protection, plant and animal biology, microbiology, and veterinary medicine our knowledge-based society is always learning more from research done in advanced labs, assisted by top-notch research lab technicians.
National Occupation Classification
2221 : Biological Technologists and Technicians
Main duties
Biological technologists perform some or all of the following duties:
Conduct biological, microbiological and biochemical tests and laboratory analyses in support of quality control in food production, sanitation, pharmaceutical production and other fields;
Perform experimental procedures in agriculture, plant breeding, animal husbandry, biology and biomedical research;
Conduct field research and surveys to collect data and samples of water, soil, plant and animal populations;
Conduct environmental monitoring and compliance activities for the protection of fisheries stock, wildlife and other natural resources;
Analyze data and prepare reports;
Conduct or supervise operational programs such as fish hatchery, greenhouse and livestock production programs.
Biological technicians perform some or all of the following duties:
Assist in conducting biological, microbiological and biochemical tests and laboratory analysis;
Perform limited range of technical functions in support of agriculture, plant breeding, animal husbandry, biology, biomedical research and environmental protection;
Assist in conducting field research and surveys to collect data and samples of water, soil, plant and animal populations;
Assist in analysis of data and preparation of reports.
Employment requirements
Completion of a two- to three-year college program in a field related to agriculture, biology, microbiology, wildlife or resource management is usually required for employment as a biological technologist.
Completion of a one- to two-year college program in a related field is required for employment as a biological technician.
Certification with provincial associations is available, but voluntary.
Additional information
There is limited mobility between occupations in this group.
Some technologists and technicians working in support of government and academic research in biology are university graduates.
- This entry was reviewed on: July 27, 2009
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