Study the chemical composition and physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena. May conduct research to further understanding of the complex chemical combinations and reactions involved in metabolism, reproduction, growth, and heredity. May determine the effects of foods, drugs, serums, hormones, and other substances on tissues and vital processes of living organisms.

Other names for Biochemists and Biophysicists: Analytical Research Chemist, Associate Professor, Biological Chemist, Cell Biologist, Clinical Biochemist, Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Clinical Researcher, Genetic Engineer, Genetic Scientist, Laboratory Director, Nanotechnologist, Pharmaceutical Scientist, Physical Biochemist, Postdoctoral Fellow, Process Engineer, Research Affiliate, Research Assistant, Research Associate, Research Chemist, Research Scientist, Scientist, Staff Toxicologist, Toxicologist,

• Prepare reports and recommendations based upon research outcomes.
• Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.
• Manage laboratory teams, and monitor the quality of a team's work.
• Share research findings by writing scientific articles and by making presentations at scientific conferences.
• Develop and execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities.
• Develop and test new drugs and medications intended for commercial distribution.
• Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer and other diseases.
• Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules such as proteins, using x-rays and electron microscopes.
• Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, and living energy changes such as growth, aging, and death.
• Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.
• Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial distribution.
• Research the chemical effects of substances such as drugs, serums, hormones, and food on tissues and vital processes.
• Research how characteristics of plants and animals are carried through successive generations.
• Develop methods to process, store, and use foods, drugs, and chemical compounds.
• Investigate the nature, composition, and expression of genes, and research how genetic engineering can impact these processes.
• Study physical principles of living cells and organisms and their electrical and mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.
• Produce pharmaceutically and industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology.
• Isolate, analyze, and synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, and enzymes, and determine their effects on body functions.
• Design and perform experiments with equipment such as lasers, accelerators, and mass spectrometers.
• Teach and advise undergraduate and graduate students, and supervise their research.
• Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes.
• Examine the molecular and chemical aspects of immune system functioning.
• Design and build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects.

• Amino acid analyzers
• Analytical balances
• Ultracentrifuges
• Lasers
• Scanning probe microscopes
• Gamma counters
• Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
• Gel documentation systems
• Robotic or automated liquid handling systems
• Medical imaging wet darkroom or daylight processors
• Laboratory balances
• Osmometers
• Laboratory beakers
• Cryogenic or liquid nitrogen freezers
• Safety hoods
• Polarizing microscopes
• Instrumentation for capillary electrophoresis
• Dry wall single chamber carbon dioxide incubators
• Manual or electronic hematology differential cell counters
• Photo attachments for microscopes
• Fume hoods or cupboards
• Chemistry analyzers
• Spectrometers
• Chilling units or cold water circulators
• Medical computed tomography CT or CAT scanners or tubes
• Scanning light or spinning disk or laser scanning microscopes
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
• Microtomes
• Cryogenic or liquid nitrogen freezers
• Electron microscopes
• Microtomes
• Transmission electron microscopes
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Medical x ray darkroom equipment or supplies
• Deoxyribonucleic sequence analyzers
• Desktop computers
• Optical beamsplitters
• Calorimeters
• Radiobiological effect microdosimeters
• Spectrometers
• Electroencephalography EEG units or accessories
• Electron microscopes
• Spectrometers
• Spectrometers
• Electrophoresis system power supplies
• Laboratory flasks
• Reactors or fermenters or digesters
• Laboratory funnels
• Flame ionization analyzers
• Freeze dryers or lyopholizers
• Manual or electronic hematology differential cell counters
• Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
• Infrared spectrometers
• Freeze dryers or lyopholizers
• Laboratory funnels
• Irradiation gamma sources
• Gas chromatographs
• Gel boxes
• Laboratory adapters or connectors or fittings
• Laboratory heat exchange condensers
• Laboratory graduated cylinders
• Refrigerated and heated reach in environmental or growth chambers
• Dry baths or heating blocks
• Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators
• Heating mantles or tapes
• Chemistry analyzers
• Reactors or fermenters or digesters
• High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography
• Homogenizers
• Laboratory hotplates
• Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators
• Inverted microscopes
• Ion analyzers
• Calorimeters
• Lasers
• Laminar flow cabinets or stations
• Pressure indicators
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Light scattering equipment
• Spectrometers
• Light scattering equipment
• Laser printers
• Lasers
• Lasers
• Light scattering equipment
• Mobile or transportable medical linear accelerators
• Robotic or automated liquid handling systems
• Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers
• Piezo electric crystals
• Tweezers
• Mainframe computers
• Mass spectrometers
• Medical magnetic resonance imaging MRI scanners
• Medical magnetic resonance imaging MRI scanners
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Analytical balances
• Calorimeters
• Microcentrifuges
• Injectors
• pH meters
• Microplate readers
• Microscope slides
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Paramagnetic susceptibility analyzers
• Spectrometers
• Light scattering equipment
• Mass spectrometers
• Scanning probe microscopes
• Scanning light or spinning disk or laser scanning microscopes
• Lasers
• Notebook computers
• Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers
• Tweezers
• Orbital shakers
• Pasteur or transfer pipettes
• Hematology or chemistry mixers
• Personal computers
• pH meters
• Digital camcorders or video cameras
• Electron guns
• Dropping pipettes
• Plotter printers
• Medical positron emission tomography PET units
• Signal conditioners
• Protein analyzers
• Spectrometers
• Refrigerated benchtop centrifuges
• Rheometers
• X ray generators
• Vacuum or centrifugal concentrators
• Lasers
• Electronic toploading balances
• Scanners
• Scanning electron microscopes
• Scanning light or spinning disk or laser scanning microscopes
• Liquid scintillation counters
• Shaking incubators
• Orbital shaking water baths
• Signal generators
• Lasers
• Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers
• Ultrasonic disintegrators
• Laboratory balances
• Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
• Spectrophotometers
• Polarimeters
• Spectrophotometers
• X ray generators
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Multipurpose or general test tubes
• Heat tracing equipment
• Electronic toploading balances
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Transmission electron microscopes
• Ultracentrifuges
• Microtomes
• Ultrasonic cleaning equipment
• Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
• Transilluminators
• Freeze dryers or lyopholizers
• Laboratory vacuum pumps
• Tissue processors
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Camera controllers
• Viscosimeters
• Water baths
• Ultra violet water purification units
• X ray diffraction equipment
• Electron microscopes

Inventory management software

Office suite software

Graphics or photo imaging software

Word processing software

Presentation software

Spreadsheet software

Data base user interface and query software

Data mining software

Information retrieval or search software

Object or component oriented development software

Computer aided design CAD software

Analytical or scientific software

Internet browser software

Operating system software

Electronic mail software