Molecular genetics is an expanding area that is contributing to solutions for human, animal and plant diseases; environmental degradation; biodiversity monitoring; food security; biosecurity and other global challenges.

 

Genetics now underpins diverse jobs related to biology. For example, around the world, governments are investing in genetics research to improve food supply, which is increasingly reliant on genetically modifying the production of plants and animals.

 

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is another growth area, where trace amounts of DNA in the environment are contributing to better estimates of biodiversity in terrestrial and marine environments. And ancient DNA is being extracted from fossils to understand the evolution of life and the impacts of ancient climate and ecosystem change.

 

In the field of disease diagnosis, DNA ‘chips’ can detect the expression of thousands of genes, enabling rapid diagnosis of multiple diseases in a single test. Before long, individuals will be able to access their own DNA sequence and learn their propensity to develop particular diseases.