What does a Molecular and Cellular Biologist do?

Research and study cellular molecules and organelles to understand cell function and organization. Day to day that includes work like maintain accurate laboratory records and data and Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.

What skills should a Molecular and Cellular Biologist put on a resume?

O*NET rates Science, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Listening among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.

What software should a Molecular and Cellular Biologist list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes AcaClone pDRAW32, Adobe Illustrator, Agilent CGH Analytics, Agilent Technologies GeneSpring GX, and Basic Local Alignment Search Tool BLAST. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.

What other job titles cover Molecular and Cellular Biologist work?

O*NET records 17 titles for this occupation, including Molecular Biologist, Research Scientist, Biologist, and Biology Researcher. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Molecular and Cellular Biologist need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 35% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Molecular and Cellular Biologist role?

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Molecular and Cellular Biologist resume example

A resume for a Molecular and Cellular Biologist needs to show the work itself: research and study cellular molecules and organelles to understand cell function and organization. Day to day that means work like this: maintain accurate laboratory records and data; design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Molecular Biologist
Research Scientist
Biologist
Biology Researcher
Cell Biologist
Cell Biology Scientist
Cellular Biologist
DNA Sequencing Associate
Molecular Biology Researcher
Molecular Biology Scientist
Molecular Biology Specialist
Molecular Research Biologist
Molecular Research Scientist
Purification Scientist
Research Technician
Structural Biologist
Synthetic Biology Researcher

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Maintain accurate laboratory records and data.
Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
Write grant applications to obtain funding.
Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis.
Conduct research on cell organization and function, including mechanisms of gene expression, cellular bioinformatics, cell signaling, or cell differentiation.
Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations.
Instruct undergraduate and graduate students within the areas of cellular or molecular biology.
Direct, coordinate, organize, or prioritize biological laboratory activities.
Compile and analyze molecular or cellular experimental data and adjust experimental designs as necessary.
Evaluate new technologies to enhance or complement current research.
Provide scientific direction for project teams regarding the evaluation or handling of devices, drugs, or cells for in vitro and in vivo disease models.
Supervise technical personnel and postdoctoral research fellows.

22 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Maintain accurate laboratory records and data, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Write grant applications to obtain funding, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

AcaClone pDRAW32
Adobe Illustrator
Agilent CGH Analytics
Agilent Technologies GeneSpring GX
Basic Local Alignment Search Tool BLAST
Blast Output Browser BOB
C++
ClustalW
Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
CRI-MAP
Data mining software
Delila
Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA libraries

44 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

Automated cell counters
Automated DNA sequencing equipment
Automated microscopes
Automatic carbon dioxide CO2 incubators
Bacterial plate incubators
Centrifuge tubes
Charge-coupled device CCD cameras
Chemical hoods
Cloning cylinders
Cloning kits
Computerized axial tomography CAT scanners
Cooled benchtop centrifuges

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

01Science
02Reading Comprehension
03Writing
04Critical Thinking
05Active Listening
06Complex Problem Solving
07Judgment and Decision Making
08Speaking
09Active Learning
10Learning Strategies

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

Biology
English Language
Chemistry
Mathematics
Education and Training
Computers and Electronics
Medicine and Dentistry

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

35%Bachelor's Degree
35%Post-Doctoral Training
23%Doctoral Degree

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Extensive Preparation Needed”. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Common questions

What does a Molecular and Cellular Biologist do?: Research and study cellular molecules and organelles to understand cell function and organization. Day to day that includes work like maintain accurate laboratory records and data and Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
What skills should a Molecular and Cellular Biologist put on a resume?: O*NET rates Science, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Listening among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Molecular and Cellular Biologist list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes AcaClone pDRAW32, Adobe Illustrator, Agilent CGH Analytics, Agilent Technologies GeneSpring GX, and Basic Local Alignment Search Tool BLAST. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Molecular and Cellular Biologist work?: O*NET records 17 titles for this occupation, including Molecular Biologist, Research Scientist, Biologist, and Biology Researcher. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Molecular and Cellular Biologist need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 35% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Molecular and Cellular Biologist role?: No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.