# Biochemists and Biophysicists

> Study the chemical composition or 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.

- **SOC code:** 19-1021.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-1021-00
- **Also known as:** Analytical Research Chemist, Biochemist, Biophysics Researcher, Scientist, Biochemistry Scientist, Biological Chemist, Biophysicist, Chemist
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences.
- Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research.
- Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work.
- Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology.
- Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.
- Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers.
- Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.
- Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
- Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects.
- Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes.
- Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death.

**Emerging tasks** (O*NET):
- Analyze biochemical or biophysical data.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Science _(essential_skill)_
- Biology _(knowledge)_
- Reading Comprehension _(essential_skill)_
- Chemistry _(knowledge)_
- Mathematics _(knowledge)_
- English Language _(knowledge)_
- Writing _(essential_skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Expression _(ability)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Biology _(Specialized Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Chemistry _(Specialized Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Writing _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Active Learning _(Common Skill)_
- Physics _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Adobe Photoshop _(hot technology)_
- Extensible markup language XML _(hot technology)_
- IBM SPSS Statistics _(hot technology)_
- Linux _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Visio _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Perl _(hot technology)_
- Python _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 70th percentile (High) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 70th percentile (High) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 61st percentile (Moderate) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 80th percentile (High) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 17th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 5.8% growth (About average); 2.9k annual openings; 35.6k → 37.6k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $103,650; 34,520 employed.

## How people actually use AI here

Anthropic Economic Index — measured AI conversations mapped to this occupation's tasks:

- **Automation vs augmentation:** 24% automation, 65% augmentation (usage-weighted).
- **Autonomy median:** 4.0 (higher = AI acts more independently).
- **Dominant collaboration mode:** learning.

**Tasks most handed to AI here:**
- Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes. _(4.6% of measured AI use; task iteration)_
- Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research. _(1.8% of measured AI use; learning)_
- Research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations. _(1.0% of measured AI use; learning)_
- Investigate the nature, composition, or expression of genes or research how genetic engineering can impact these processes. _(0.5% of measured AI use; learning)_
- Produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology. _(0.4% of measured AI use; learning)_
- Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death. _(0.4% of measured AI use; learning)_
- Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes. _(0.3% of measured AI use)_
- Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes. _(0.3% of measured AI use; learning)_

**Example prompts (honest phrasings of the tasks above — starting points, not endorsed instructions):**
- Help me prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
- Help me teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research.
- Help me research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations.
- Help me investigate the nature, composition, or expression of genes or research how genetic engineering can impact these processes.
- Help me produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-1021-00_