The Federal Government also should encourage universities to sustain education and training in disciplinary sciences while recognizing the need for communication and collaboration among disciplines. Experience shows that highly specialized undergraduate and graduate technicians, engineers, and scientists often lack the broad fundamental skills necessary for successful multidisciplinary investigation. This is especially true for specialists in molecular biology. Training and Career Development Training and career development is the infrastructure area promising the greatest overall impact on biotechnology. Programs are needed to enhance public literacy concerning biotechnology, as well as to attract and retain students in biotechnology-related science and engineering through pre and postdoctoral levels, and to retrain individuals with experience in other disciplines for careers in biotechnology.
Training is needed in theoretical and computational biology.
Training should include study of nontraditional organisms for biotechnology. Several agencies have programs to recruit and train independent investigators for the future. Relatively little attention has been given, however, to the large number of mid- level technical workers that will be required to transfer research results to applications. This type of training should not be ignored in planning for future personnel needs in biotechnology. Specialized vocational training for biotechnologists is only one approach, however.