Biotechnology is bigger than you think: Professor Rajeeb Gautam shares what students should know 

If biotechnology makes you think of scientists working in pharmaceutical labs, Professor Rajeeb Gautam would encourage you to think bigger. His own career has taken him around the world and across sectors like agriculture, environmental science and health care. Now coordinator of Loyalist College’s Biotechnology program, Rajeeb draws on more than a decade of industry experience to help students understand just how many ways they can put an interest in science to work. 

His first experience in biotechnology came after studying chemical engineering, when he joined a team in rural Nepal installing biodigesters that transformed organic waste into methane for cooking, heating and lighting, as well as fertilizer. For families in those communities, the technology meant finding useful alternatives to discarded waste and purchased chemical fertilizers. It was an early example of how microorganisms could be used to improve people’s lives, and one that would shape Rajeeb’s understanding of the field. 

One field, many possibilities 

Rajeeb went on to complete a master’s degree in environmental engineering in Australia before coming to Canada to pursue a PhD in biochemical engineering at Western University. There, his research explored using bacteria to biodegrade synthetic plastic waste. 

He later moved into vaccine manufacturing in Belleville, working in product development and research and development on human and animal vaccine production. His work included helping establish large-scale fermentation systems used to manufacture millions of vaccine doses. 

At first glance, turning agricultural waste into fuel, breaking down plastics and manufacturing vaccines might seem to have little in common, but each represents a different application of biotechnology: using living organisms and biological processes, together with technology, to produce something useful. 

That breadth is something Rajeeb wants prospective students to understand. Biotechnology careers aren’t limited to pharmaceutical research. Technicians also work in food and beverage production, agriculture, environmental biotechnology, manufacturing, quality assurance, quality control and other areas. And while some scientific careers require advanced degrees, Rajeeb emphasizes that technician-level opportunities exist for graduates of college diploma programs. 

Preparing for the realities of the lab 

Rajeeb’s years in industry have also shaped his expectations for what students should learn before entering the workplace. In Loyalist’s two-year Biotechnology program, students complete more than 400 hours of hands-on laboratory work. They begin with the fundamentals: how to work safely with laboratory materials, handle and label glassware, maintain an organized workspace and use appropriate protective equipment. 

As their skills develop, they move into more advanced laboratory techniques, including analytical instrumentation, tissue culture and DNA work. Students may even manipulate genes in E. coli bacteria, grow the resulting organisms and analyze what happens. But the experience isn’t just about learning scientific techniques: it’s also about understanding the professional practices that surround them. 

Students learn to follow standard operating procedures, document their work, interpret results and troubleshoot equipment or experiments when something doesn’t go as expected. “The goal is always to prepare them for industry,” Rajeeb says. It’s an approach informed by his experience in manufacturing environments, where accurate records, consistent procedures and attention to detail are essential. 

What if science interests you, but math makes you nervous? 

Rajeeb recognizes that students interested in biology and laboratory work may still hesitate because they’re worried about math. He remembers finding subjects such as advanced calculus and linear algebra intimidating himself, despite eventually becoming an engineer.  

At Loyalist, he explains, the math is closely connected to practical laboratory applications. Students learn to calculate solution concentrations and dilutions, work with averages and interpret trends in measurements such as temperature and pressure. 

Biotechnology and math faculty also coordinate their teaching so students can practise calculations that relate directly to what they’re doing in the lab. “They get to see math actually working in the lab or actual manufacturing setting,” Rajeeb explains.  

When calculations become more complex, students are provided with examples that walk them through the process. The emphasis is on developing the mathematical skills needed to perform laboratory work accurately, rather than expecting students to arrive with advanced mathematical knowledge. 

Finding your place in biotechnology 

After years of working in different industries, Rajeeb returned to something he’d enjoyed since his own student days: teaching. He has now spent approximately 13 years teaching biotechnology and bioscience courses at Loyalist, while maintaining connections with former industry colleagues and the program’s advisory committee. 

For him, teaching remains a learning experience in itself. When students ask questions he can’t immediately answer, he goes back to investigate. “It’s not only the students who have ‘aha’ moments,” he says. “We, as professors, also get that, and that is very fulfilling.” 

And when former students return to share stories about their careers, he says those are among the most rewarding moments of teaching. 

For prospective students, Rajeeb’s advice is to think less about having a specific career already mapped out and more about what interests them. Do you enjoy science? Are you curious about how things work? Do you like solving problems, investigating unexpected results and figuring out why something happened? Those qualities, he believes, are a strong starting point. 

His own career has taken him from environmental biotechnology to biochemical research, vaccine manufacturing and education. 

Now, he gets to help students discover where their own interests in science might take them. 

Explore Biotechnology at Loyalist College

Interested in putting your curiosity about science to work? Discover how Loyalist’s Biotechnology program combines hands-on laboratory training with practical scientific knowledge to prepare students for careers in health care, agriculture, environmental science and beyond.

Explore the Biotechnology program