Analyze biological samples.

Analyze biological samples. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 8 occupations and seen in 13 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data. in Analyzing Data or Information .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 13 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 7 (54%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

The Anthropic Economic Index observes real AI use on 4 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.018% per task.

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure. · Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists · importance 4.5 · exposure with tools
• Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis. · Molecular and Cellular Biologists · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Provide laboratory services for health departments, community environmental health programs, and physicians needing information for diagnosis and treatment. · Microbiologists · importance 4.3 · exposure with tools
• Examine physiological, morphological, and cultural characteristics, using microscope, to identify and classify microorganisms in human, water, and food specimens. · Microbiologists · importance 4.3 · exposure with tools
• Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules. · Biochemists and Biophysicists · importance 4.2 · exposure with tools
• Extract deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or perform diagnostic tests involving processes such as gel electrophoresis, Southern blot analysis, and polymerase chain reaction analysis. · Geneticists · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Compile and analyze molecular or cellular experimental data and adjust experimental designs as necessary. · Molecular and Cellular Biologists · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Analyze large molecular datasets, such as raw microarray data, genomic sequence data, or proteomics data, for clinical or basic research purposes. · Bioinformatics Scientists · importance 3.9 · exposure with tools
• Identify and quantify drugs or poisons found in biological fluids or tissues, in foods, or at crime scenes. · Forensic Science Technicians · importance 3.7 · no direct exposure
• Isolate, analyze, or synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions. · Biochemists and Biophysicists · importance 3.3 · no direct exposure
• Perform chemical analyses of the microorganism content of soils to determine microbial reactions or chemical mineralogical relationships to plant growth. · Soil and Plant Scientists · importance 3.3 · exposure with tools
• Prepare and analyze samples to study effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, or microorganisms on cell structure and tissue. · Epidemiologists · importance 2.7 · no direct exposure
• Collect and dissect animal specimens and examine specimens under microscope. · Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists · importance 2.6 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
• Molecular and Cellular Biologists
• Microbiologists
• Biochemists and Biophysicists
• Forensic Science Technicians
• Soil and Plant Scientists
• Epidemiologists
• Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-analyze-biological-samples,
  title  = {Analyze biological samples.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/analyze-biological-samples}
}