Professional profiles
professional profile
Biotechnologist
Function in a professional context and competences
Graduates of the second cycle/two-year master’s degree programme in Animal Biotechnology are highly qualified professionals able to:
- apply molecular and biomolecular techniques for basic and advanced diagnostics of transmissible and non-transmissible diseases;
- use innovative techniques in the pharmacological and prophylactic fields;
- apply anatomical pathology diagnostic methods and analyse normal and pathological tissues;
- design, coordinate and conduct biomedical, veterinary and translational research activities and animal experimentation;
- develop protocols for the manipulation and culture of embryonic and adult stem cells and for in vitro and ex vivo studies;
- apply genetic engineering techniques for the production of transgenic animal models;
- assess the genetic, reproductive and functional quality of animals and apply reproductive biotechnological methods;
- perform genomic, proteomic and bioinformatic analyses for diagnosis, the study of epidemiology and the identification of biomarkers;
- monitor the quality and safety of food and develop innovative functional foods;
- analyse the main cellular metabolic pathways and the mechanisms of cell damage, programmed cell death, senescence, inflammation and immune responses;
- select and use vertebrate and invertebrate animal models and in vitro systems for preclinical studies and therapeutic assessments;
- apply cell culture systems and assess their therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine and advanced biomedicine;
- use bioinformatic tools, statistical methods and artificial intelligence techniques for the analysis and interpretation of biomedical and diagnostic data;
- conduct tumour biology analyses through functional genomics and identify potential therapeutic targets;
- carry out innovative diagnostic procedures for infectious and oncological diseases, assessing their quality and reliability;
- compare and critically assess innovative therapeutic approaches on the basis of experimental and clinical evidence;
- interpret and apply national and European legislation in the field of biotechnology and ethics in the use of animals in scientific research;
- collaborate with multidisciplinary professionals (medical doctors, veterinary surgeons, pharmacologists, epidemiologists, nutritionists and bioinformaticians) on research projects and biotechnology applications.
Competencies associated to the function
The competences acquired enable graduates of the second cycle/two-year master’s degree programme in Animal Biotechnology to carry out the following activities:
- design, develop and coordinate research projects in the clinical, therapeutic, biomedical and animal husbandry fields in multidisciplinary contexts;
- diagnose pathological conditions and genetic, infectious and parasitic diseases using advanced molecular and biomolecular analysis techniques and bioinformatics;
- apply technological research methods and genetic selection for the conservation of biodiversity and the improvement of animal production;
- design and conduct medically assisted reproduction programmes in the human and veterinary fields;
- develop in vitro and in vivo experimental protocols using animal models, including transgenic models and cellular systems;
- prepare samples and apply methods for regenerative medicine and advanced cell therapy;
- monitor the quality and safety of foodstuffs of animal origin and animal feed, applying nutritional biotechnologies and innovative methods to optimise food production;
- analyse and interpret cellular, metabolic and immunological mechanisms for the design of experimental and therapeutic strategies;
- use bioinformatic tools, statistics and artificial intelligence for the analysis and interpretation of biomedical and diagnostic data;
- apply and comply with national and European ethical and regulatory legislation in the field of biotechnology, for animal experimentation and biomedical research;
- critically assess innovative therapeutic approaches on the basis of experimental and clinical evidence;
- collaborate with multidisciplinary professionals such as medical doctors, veterinary surgeons, pharmacologists, nutritionists and epidemiologists.
In addition to the necessary technical competences relevant to the field of veterinary biotechnology, upon completion of their educational pathway the professional graduates of the second cycle/two-year master’s degree programme in Animal Biotechnology have the following transferable skills:
- critical thinking, ability to use deductive reasoning in applying general rules to specific problems;
- problem-solving abilities through the collection of information useful for evaluating possible options and identifying causes and effects;
- analytical abilities and critical thinking, also applied to the assessment of data;
- independent judgement on the effectiveness and suitability of experimental protocols;
- ability to identify and assess ethical issues related to the use of animal experimentation protocols;
- abilities in applying scientific methods and in drafting technical and scientific reports in Italian and English;
- transferable skills of an organisational, managerial and planning nature, in line with the assigned level of autonomy and responsibility with respect to the main counterparts (colleagues, other professional roles and public and/or private clients);
- ability to organise and manage time;
- ability to apply the basic principles of Business Development and the most effective communication methods/language for each type of counterpart (investors, marketing managers, medical managers and researchers)
Employment opportunities
Graduates of the second cycle/two-year master’s degree programme in Animal Biotechnologies have career opportunities in the following professional fields*:
- Universities and national and international public and private research organisations;
- National Health Service facilities
- Experimental zooprophylactic institutes
- Public and private human and veterinary analysis laboratories
- Commercial offices providing consultancy in areas related to biotechnology and in the patents and intellectual property sector
- The diagnostic and pharmaceutical industry
- The biotech industry
- The veterinary industry
- Notified bodies and certification bodies
- Clinical trial monitoring (Clinical Research Associate, CRA, or Clinical Monitor, CM)
- National and international regulatory agencies
- Patent offices
- Technology transfer companies
- Scientific publishing and communication companies
- Scientific, industrial and patient sector associations
- Institutions (Italian Ministry of Health)
*After successfully concluding the national state exam, graduates of the second cycle/two-year master’s degree in Animal Biotechnology may enrol in the Register of Biologists, Section A, which is required in order to practise as a freelance professional.
Continuing to study
It gives access to third-cycle studies (PhD and specialization school) and second-level university master's degrees.
