Professional profile: Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnologist
Function in a professional context and competences:
The second cycle/two-year master's degree programme in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnology aims to train professionals in the role of Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnologists.
Function in a professional context
Graduates in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnology possess advanced technological and experimental knowledge and skills, enabling them to design, conduct, and manage research and development activities in biotechnology applied to the healthcare sector, with particular focus on the design, characterisation, production, analysis, and formulation of innovative and biotechnological drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic devices. At the same time, they have broad, multidisciplinary expertise that allows them to work in research and development laboratories, supervising, validating, and optimising biotechnological production processes such as fermentations and bioconversions, taking responsibility for compliance with production and analytical procedures and for quality control, drawing also on their knowledge of economics, finance, legislation, and industrial production. They are also able to use biological systems and genetic engineering techniques for applications across a range of productive sectors, including the chemical, industrial, pharmaceutical, and environmental sectors. They understand the chemical reactions and activities that govern vital processes, the genetic structures of living organisms, and the means by which these can be modified. They apply and make available such knowledge in the production of goods and services at both small and industrial scale.
In particular, the Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnologist:
- Designs and applies methodologies for basic and applied research aimed at developing new drugs and diagnostic devices;
- Designs and develops biotechnological systems for the production of biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, antibodies, and other macromolecules of therapeutic or diagnostic interest;
- Designs and develops bioanalytical systems and devices and molecular nanostructures for analytical or technological purposes;
- Designs, manages, and controls industrial processes for the production and quality control of biotechnological and innovative drugs;
- Designs and organises activities to promote and develop scientific and technological innovation.
The professional profile also has a strong research focus, particularly in drug development and in the effects of drugs on eukaryotic systems, including stem cells, as well as on bacteria and viruses. This profile enables the molecular and industrial biotechnologist to apply their knowledge of molecular biology, genetics, biomolecular structural biology, and microbiology in the fields of industrial chemistry, drug production, environmental remediation of contaminated sites, and the generation of energy from sustainable sources. Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnologists can work — including at an international level and in positions of significant responsibility — in laboratories and industries with a predominantly biotechnological and pharmacological focus. They can also contribute, including at a managerial and administrative level, to development and monitoring programmes for biotechnologies applied to healthcare, with particular regard to the development of pharmaceutical products and vaccines, taking into account technical and legal considerations. Graduates in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology meet the requirements for admission to further advanced training programmes to acquire specialised skills suited to specific professional contexts (second-level master's degrees, PhD programmes, and specialisation schools).
The knowledge and skills required to carry out the functions described above are:
- in-depth knowledge of the genetic and biochemical aspects of cells;
- in-depth knowledge of the structure and functions of biological macromolecules and related cellular processes;
- knowledge of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying pathological processes, including those of infectious origin;
- knowledge of, and ability to use, specific technologies in areas such as molecular modelling and the design and development of innovative drugs;
- expertise in the principal molecular and cellular methodologies for the design and production of biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and diagnostics;
- expertise in the analysis of biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and diagnostics with regard to their chemical, biological, and pharmacological properties;
- bioinformatic skills for organising, building, and accessing databases, particularly in genomics and proteomics, and for acquiring and disseminating scientific and technological information;
- skills in basic and applied research in the fields of genetic, protein, and metabolic engineering, using recombinant DNA techniques to produce and develop molecules of biotechnological interest;
- knowledge of the techniques and instruments suited to the structural and functional analysis of biological macromolecules;
- ability to use the main biological databases to retrieve the information required for process development;
- skills in designing and coordinating activities to promote and develop scientific and technological innovation in areas related to the biotechnological field;
- ability to coordinate research projects in molecular and industrial biotechnology;
- knowledge of techniques for genetic manipulation and for detecting and monitoring the presence of natural or genetically modified organisms, using genetic and molecular techniques and biosensors;
- skills in managing the risks associated with biotechnological processes, grounded in regulatory knowledge of biotechnology safety;
- knowledge of the applications of industrial enzymes, of how to assess the quality of industrial enzyme preparations, and of when it is appropriate to use immobilised biocatalysts to reduce production costs;
- molecular, biochemical, and technical skills for producing nanomaterials of biotechnological interest;
- knowledge required to develop microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip applications.
This knowledge and these skills are complemented by the capacity for self-directed learning and continuous professional development, as well as a range of transferable skills — communicative and interpersonal (with particular emphasis on English language proficiency), organisational, managerial, and planning — specific to the field of pharmaceutical and industrial biotechnology and deployable at both national and international level.
Employment opportunities:
Employment opportunities, at both national and international level, include:
- universities and public and private research organisations;
- biotechnology industries and services;
- the pharmaceutical industry;
- the cosmetics industry;
- the nutritional products industry;
- the diagnostic devices industry;
- the scientific instrumentation industry;
- public and private healthcare organisations;
- drug regulatory and supervisory bodies;
- bio‑pharmaceutical consultancy organisations and agencies;
- environmental prevention and control organisation and agencies;
- national and international regulatory and/or certification agencies.
Graduates in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnology may also work in research and development laboratories, supervising, validating, and optimising biotechnological production processes such as fermentations and bioconversions, taking responsibility for the correct implementation of production and analytical procedures and for quality control, also drawing on their knowledge of economics, finance, legislation, and industrial production. Finally, master's graduates in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnology, on the basis of current legislation, are eligible to enrol as Senior Biologists (Section A of the professional register), following successful completion of the relevant state exam. Graduates who have accumulated sufficient credits in appropriate groups of subject areas may also take part in public competitions and/or entrance exams for teacher training programmes for secondary education, as provided for by current Italian legislation.
