Category: Stem Cell Technology Certification Course

Career opportunities in Stem Cell Technology Research

Stem cell research is considered as the future of modern medicine and offers one of the most viable career options for youngsters. The remarkable ability of stem cells to regenerate into additional stem cells or to differentiate into specialized cells like muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells makes them invaluable in medical treatment. Stem cells possess the potential to cure diseases ranging from diabetes to Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer.

So what does stem cell technology research involve? It is the advanced research carried out by researchers from various science backgrounds, to find new and efficient ways to treat various illnesses. Key areas where stem cell therapy can result in effective treatment are Orthopedics, Neurological conditions, Liver Diseases, Chronic Kidney Diseases, Autoimmune disorders, COPD and other Lung diseases, Cardiology, Ophthalmologic diseases, Infertility, and Cosmetic Procedures.

Stem cell technology is one of the most rapidly growing fields of science. Numerous scientists around the world and even in India are carrying out research in this field, hoping to develop new therapies based on stem cells. This booming field requires skilled and trained manpower, offering excellent career opportunities.

After Japan and South Korea, India is a major player in the biotech field, with Banglore, in particular the hub for stem cell research. There are immense opportunities for students with a large number of prominent research institutes, biotech, and pharma companies carrying out stem cell research. More than Rs. 1,000 crore is invested in stem cell research in India. Job opportunities ranging from lab assistants to scientists are plenty and highly rewarding.

Institutes like National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, National Centre for Biological Science (NCBS), Bengaluru, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad provide skill training in this field.

Aspiring candidates from a life science background can take up certification courses in stem cell biology as well as obtain hands-on experience from research laboratories, before stepping into this field.

Stem Cell Market In India

The Indian stem cell market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Over the past few years, chronic diseases like neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and leukemia have become prevalent and have resulted in a high mortality rate. Due to the lack of efficiency of conventional treatments, they are now getting replaced by regenerative therapies.

With increasing investments in stem cell research by government and private organizations, stem cell therapy is expected to become the new elixir for treating various ailments. According to reports, India might become the fastest growing stem cell market in the world.

Major players in the Indian stem cell market include;

• Reliance Life Sciences
• LifeCell International Private Limited
• Cryobanks International India Private Limited
• Cordlife India, StemCyte India Therapeutics Private Limited
• ReeLabs Private Limited
• Stempeutics Research Private Limited and others.

Career Opportunities In Stem Cell Research

Numerous research positions are available involving stem cells both in India and abroad. Research laboratories working with stem cells frequently call for laboratory technicians, junior research fellows, senior research fellows, research associates, project coordinators, and research scientists. Aspirants can find jobs in clinical research also. There are many other career opportunities that involve working with stem cells, most of the students are unaware of. They include bioengineering researchers, biomedical research assistants, animal technicians, cancer, and immunology researcher. One can begin their career in stem cell research in production, R&D, quality, human resources, supply chain, or clinical research.

A stem cell researcher is entitled to grow stem cells in the research laboratory, study them, and edit them to produce the desired type of cells, like heart muscle cells, nerve cells, and blood cells. These cells could be then used to treat different illnesses. For example, heart muscle cells produced from stem cells could be transplanted to patients suffering from heart ailments, so that the injected cells can repair the defective heart muscle.

Educational Qualification Required

The minimum educational qualification required for finding a job in the stem cell research domain is a postgraduate degree in either regenerative medicine or in basic biology. B. Pharma, MBBS, B.V.Sc., B.D.S., or B.E. Biotechnology students can also find jobs in this field.

Starting Salary in Stem Cell Research

An eligible postgraduate can earn up to Rs. 30,000 per month in the beginning and those with a PhD can earn more than Rs. 50,000 per month. PhD holders can earn around Euro 25,000 to 30,000 or US$ 35,000 to 40,000 annually if recruited abroad.

Skills Required for a Career In Stem Cell Research

A stem cell researcher should possess the same basic skills that any other researcher requires. Aspirants should be really interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms inside a cell. Since they could be working on a project that demands a long time to get results, they should have real patience. It took 15 years to make bone marrow transplants safe and effective. So the aspirants must have a long term view. Knowledge of cellular and molecular biology is also required.

Employers also look for theoretical and practical expertise in;

• Regenerative Medicines
• Cell Therapies
• Cell Culture
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemical Engineering
• Cell Engineering
• Analytical Development
• Process Science
• GMP Manufacture
• Clean Room/Aseptic
• Tissue Culture
• Biochemistry
• T-Cells etc.

To summarize, stem cell technology research is a booming field with numerous career opportunities that offer high payment packages. Although it could take a few more years to fully realize the potential of stem cell therapies, stem cell research is already one of the brightest areas in biology that offer a promising career ahead.

Stem cell technology is a rapidly developing field with immense potential to treat a variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases. The technology is all about stem cells- cells which are non-specific, capable of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation. Stem cells survive well and show stable division in culture, making them ideal targets for in vitro manipulation.

There are many different types of stem cells that arise from different parts of the body or formed at different time points during development. They include embryonic stem cells that are present only during the early development of the fetus and different tissue-specific stem cells that exist in the body even during adulthood.

All stem cells can make copies of themselves as well as differentiate into more specialized cells.

They can be classified into different groups based on the source and potency.

Stem cell potency refers to its ability to differentiate into specialized cells. The potency reduces with each step of division and differentiation naturally in vivo.

According to the descending order of potency, stem cells can be organized as :

totipotent > pluripotent > multipotent > oligopotent > unipotent.

The potency reduced with each step of division and differentiation naturally in vivo.

There are nearly 220 types of cells in an embryo. A totipotent stem cell can differentiate into any of these cells as well as into extra-embryonic cells like those found in the placenta, while a pluripotent stem cell is only capable of giving rise to embryonic cells. And a multipotent stem cell can differentiate into a limited number of cell types in a particular lineage. The potency further reduces when it comes to oligopotent and unipotent cells.

The sources for high potency stem cells are usually embryo and lower potency cells are adults. But pluripotency can also be induced into a differentiated cell by genetic reprogramming. There lies the true potential of stem cell technology that combines the efforts of cell biologists, geneticists, and clinicians.

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are the reprogrammed tissue-specific cells like the skin cells that behave more like embryonic stem cells. IPS cells are useful in testing new drugs and therapies and to study the normal development of an organism and disease progression.

The Approach

As the technique involves special cells, there are diverse approaches to study it. The study could be at the cellular level, molecular level, and genetic level. The application of these cells also requires an understanding of the diversified tools, techniques, and newer research developments. Knowledge of diseases, their cause, and progression, etc. are equally necessary along with ethics and legal aspects associated with such technology.

Applications of Stem Cell Technology

Stem cells’ ability to turn into other types of cells is being extensively exploited in the field of medicine. Stem cells can help scientists in understanding how a complex organism is developed from a fertilized egg. Stem cells facilitate the study of signals and mechanisms underlying the precise development of an organism as well as the related medical conditions like cancer and birth defects. Many scientists around the world are interested in identifying those signals and proteins that lead to the differentiation of stem cells into specific cell types.

The ability of stem cells to replace the damaged cells is already being used to restore the blood system in patients with leukemia and for the treatment of extensive burns. Stem cells also hold the potential to in replacing the cells lost in many other devastating diseases. By engineering the stem cells with disease genes, they can be used to model disease processes in the laboratory, and better understand what goes wrong.

Few other application of stem cells include;

• Drug testing for safety and efficacy
• Treat diseases by replacement therapy – regenerative medicine
• Understanding cancer – developing models, treatment, etc.
• Understanding the cause of many genetic defects

Are stem cells already being used in the medical field?

Doctors are already using stem cells to replace those cells damaged during chemotherapy or to boost the immune system to fight some types of cancer and blood-related diseases like lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, and neuroblastoma. Umbilical cord stem cells or adult stem cells are used for this purpose.

Researches are ongoing to use stem cells for treating many other degenerative diseases like heart failure.

In conclusion, stem cell technology holds great potential in treating various illnesses and genetic disorders. Different stem cells have specific advantages in the field of medicine and many discoveries exploiting stem cells are in Phase I and II clinical trials. However, much more is yet to be understood about stem cells and hence the field of stem cell technology comes with immense scope and career opportunities.

Well, this was just to give you a brief idea about Stem Cell Technology As a Whole, Dive into the course to study about each aspects in details.

How This Course Has Been Designed?

The course is very meticulously designed by experts with over 10+ years of experience in the industry. The course covers all the important aspects of stem cell technology.

The entire module is divided into 14 sessions each of minimum an hour duration. These sessions cover the basics of stem cells, details of their types, isolation and identification techniques, reprogramming approaches, research skills, applications, ethics, legislation, patents and prospects. Along with it one also gets to test their understanding of the topic through knowledge test.

Who Can Take Up This Course?

• Students in their B.Sc / B.Tech / M.Sc / M.Tech/ PhD in any life science field, B.pharm/M.pharm/MBBS who are interested in taking up stem cell research as a career
• Aspiring researchers who want to contribute towards mankind by designing and evaluating newer therapies based on empirical study and experiments of the effects of stem cells in different biological realms
• Science enthusiasts who like to stay updated about the recent trends and updates regarding one of the most applied areas of life sciences worldwide
• Since a comprehensive medical academic background is not an essential requirement for entry into this field, anyone who wishes to have an understanding of the working style and concept of stem cell research, is eligible take up this course

Importance of this Course in Terms of Career Advancement

Being an important field of study, expertise in this filed can fetch good job opportunities.

• Stem cell technology is applied in many sectors like research, clinical, medical, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and analytical.
• Many job openings are available in research in labs, academic sector and commercial sector as research associate, research scientist, Post-Doctoral Fellow (PDF), Scientific officer and technician in universities, research institutes, and hospitals.
• Many pharmaceutical and clinical companies also employ person with expertise in this filed specifically those associated with biologic production, purification, quantification, drug discovery, diagnostics and treatment.
• Position for QA/QC involving biopharmaceutical production also requires knowledge in the domain.
• Experts with hands-on experience may be employment by a large institute for solely handling, running and maintaining cell culture.
•  Even managerial posts are also available, where an entire team and the project needs to be supervised by the expert personnel.
• One can look for academic positions like Assistant/Associate/Professor jobs in universities/ academic institutes.

While going through the course , we are sure you will have many light bulb moment, wherein the Newton inside you will become curious and will have loads of questions to ask and for that you can always talk to our experts in the Live Chat.

Lets Dive In To The Course Now!

Happy Learning!