Mycologist
A mycologist is a scientist that specializes in researching various fungus and how they relate to people, plants, and animals.
This is especially helpful because fungi are present in many items, including yogurt, antibiotics, vitamins, industrial chemicals, and industrial chemicals.
Describe a mycologist.
Duties
In your role as a mycologist, you’ll do the following crucial tasks:
- Investigate the implications of different fungi’s life processes for both conventional and cutting-edge industrial, medicinal, and agricultural applications, such as the production of pharmaceuticals, yeasts, and medicines.
- Gather samples and then record the morphology, physiology, development, and taxonomy of certain fungi.
- Work to minimize the harm that fungi do to agricultural crops.
- When new fungus species are found, classify them according to scientific disciplines.
- perform tasks related to research and development, such as enhancing the technique for cultivating edible fungi like mushrooms.
Everyday Life
A mycologist spends the majority of their time closely examining fungus, including their appearance, size, habitat, and individual characteristics. Understanding how fungi can be used as food or for medical purposes is the main objective.
You will concentrate on conducting chemical and thermal tests to identify which fungi are dangerous or lethal. Your job entails gathering samples to examine a particular fungus’s reproduction and cell architecture using powerful microscopes in lab settings.
Depending on the type of career you choose, the daily labor varies. If you are a pharmaceutical mycologist, your research will be more concentrated on advancing technology and promoting novel fungi-based products.
As a professor of mycology, though, you will be educating students about mold and mushrooms and producing academic literature.
Additionally, professors participate in committee meetings, run student clubs, and take part in other activities that support the goals of their department.
Job Scheduling
A typical work week for a mycologist in a lab or research setting is 35 to 40 hours. Except for urgent projects, you are often not required to work on weekends or during holidays.
While 85% of the tests are carried out in the lab, you will also need to go outside to conduct field work in order to get actual results.
Expansion of the job
By 2020, it is anticipated that mycologists’ employment rate would increase to 13%. Mycologists may not be in high demand, but the future is still positive, according to the Science Magazine.
Even though there is a real need for more personnel in this specialist subject, the employment outlook is positive because there are so few highly trained individuals willing to participate in the thriving mycology research.
The untapped potential of fungal biology in the pharmaceutical, business, and agricultural sectors is becoming more and more apparent to corporations and educational institutions. In this specialized profession, there will also be additional jobs as older workers retire.
Common Employers
Mycologists can find employment with independent consulting firms where they can do innovative research on the uses of a wide variety of fungus.
The study of fungus can be advantageous in a variety of ways, including as a bio-control agent to stop the spread of illness in agricultural crops and as a source of treatment for bacteria and viruses that damage humans.
Research facilities, agricultural firms, pharmaceutical firms, pharmacology labs, governments, universities, and botanical gardens are additional notable employers. Mycologists hold professorships at colleges and universities where they both teach and carry out new research.
Getting Started as a Mycologist
Aspiring individuals in this field must have a sincere interest in fungus, bioinformatics, and plant sciences. The majority of mycologists start out by earning a Bachelor of Science degree with a focus on either mycology, botany, microbiology, or a related field.
There are no undergraduate mycology programs in the US or the UK; instead, it is included in a few modules for botany and microbiology degrees.
The concentration of the department and specific researchers determines the kind of mycology that is taught at the postgraduate level. Based on your intended future vocation, you can modify your coursework and academic work.
You require a master’s degree in mycology or another appropriate field to operate as an independent consultant in industries including health, pharmaceuticals, the environment, horticulture, or agriculture.
However, further academic requirements, such as a PhD in biology and mycology, are necessary for all research and university teaching positions. You must possess a thorough understanding of subjects like biology, environmental sciences, scientific taxonomy, chemistry, and plant sciences in order to function as a professor.
Mycologist Pay Information
The information below will help you learn more about this profession. The editorial material and recommendations on this page are based on our research, while the income and growth information is based on newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Low Range for National Annual Salaries
- $57,160 Low to High Range $77,190 $112,820
Nationwide minimum wage
- Low $27/hour, Average $37/hour, and High $54/hour
What are mycologists paid compared to other professions around the nation? According to the most recent data on employment across the country, mycologists can earn an average yearly salary of $77,190, or $37 per hour.
Depending on the state you live in and even when just starting out, they can make as little as $57,160, or $27 per hour.
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