Genetics University of Pretoria

Overview

Genetics is the study of how the genetic material in the cells of all living organisms is transmitted from parent to offspring across generations and how that genetic material is encoded and decoded to provide the blueprint of all life on earth. The advent of advanced technologies continues to enhance existing research strategies. This allows for dynamic interdisciplinary collaboration, not only in the life sciences, but also in fields such as informatics and mathematics. The genomes of numerous animals, plants and pathogens, as well as those of humans, have been decoded. This has led to new informative methods for studying gene interactions at various cellular levels. Computational modelling has proven invaluable to novel gene discovery and understanding the origins and spread of emerging viruses, such as the H1N1-virus.

Career

Graduates of the Genetics program from University of Pretoria generally choose to work as molecular biologists, medical or clinical geneticists, cytogeneticists, biotechnologists, agricultural scientists, molecular ecologists, forensic scientists, genetic counsellors, bioinformaticists and computational analysts, veterinary scientists, teachers or lecturers at various institutions, and in bioscience-related industries. If students combine genetics with additional qualifications such as law, they will be equipped for successful careers in, for example, patent law, pharmaceutical sales and marketing, project management, computer programming (natural computation) and science journalism. Note that the level of training and qualification plays an important role in determining the type of work in which a qualified geneticist can become involved.