Aspiring to become a Nano Technologists? Wonder what goes on in a typical day of a Nano Tech Engineer?
Let’s start first with, what is Nanotechnology & what does a Nano Technologist do ?
According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of Nanotechnology is:
The branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometres, especially the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules.
(One nanometer is a billionth of a meter or 10-9 of a meter.)
Nanotechnology is considered as the field of science and technology, which is upcoming & will lead to the greatest technical advances of the 21st century.
Nanotechnology has become an integral part of our daily lives with vast applications in different fields, such as:
- Medicines
- Electronics
- Food
- Fuel cells
- Solar cells
- Batteries
- Space
The practitioner of nanotechnology is known as nanotechnologist.
A Nanotechnologist is a professional who researches, designs and manufacture of extremely small Electronic circuits and Mechanical devices built at the molecular level of the matter.
Core Skills required to become a successful Nanotechnology Engineer:
There are certain important skills one must have in order to be efficient in this field:
- Analytical thinking skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving mindset
- Persistence and Determination
- Ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
- Excellent hand- eye coordination to work on specialised instruments
Let’s explore how a typical day of a Nanotechnologists looks like!
Day start:
A day in the life of nanotechnologist, of course, starts like any other person by waking up in the morning and having a cup of tea or coffee.
They get ready for the work, take all the necessary documents and start their way towards office.
Active work phase:
As they reach office, they settle down with a cup of coffee and check for updates through mail or messages.
They then plan for the day, check the documents and the status of the project, mark the changes they have to make, and note down the necessary things needed for that.
After this, they get into their protective gear & prepare themselves to work properly with tiny particles .
They have to enter the laboratory now.
The laboratory will be different based on the field they’re working in: biotechnology, agriculture, food, genetics, space research, medicine and others.
They set a miniature image in their system and work with the actual object in hand using specialized scientific tools. Manipulating the smallest invisible structure using a variety of techniques or analytical tools is their work in hand at that time.
Their work also varies depending on the field they’ve chosen: research, employment, business, or consultancy. They may also get involved in meetings with their team members.
Around 1-1.30 pm they go for their lunch. While having food, they get some time away from their work, where they can discuss their projects with each other. This time is crucial for the success of the project as many brains and their experience come up with creative ideas.
As they get back to work, they start working on their pending work. Either they enter the lab or the work at their desk, working on the blueprints and documentation part.
They also utilize this time to research about the new or enhanced methods for the processing, testing, or manufacture of nanotechnology materials or products, and developing or modifying experimental techniques for nanoscale use. This goes on until it’s time to leave the workplace.
Generally, around 5pm, they set back for home. Before leaving the desk, they check the progress of the work- whether the pace is fine or needs to be increased, number of issues resolved or yet to be resolved, meetings for tomorrow, and also any new mails that might have arrived.
Leisure:
Coming back home, one loosens up, grabs a cup of tea and spends time with family. It’s either talking with the spouse, playing with kids, or helping with the household chores. They can also engage in leisure activities during this time. They can write articles based on their work or on something different, watch television, spend time with pets, gardening and so on.
After all these, they have their dinner and drift off to sleep, hoping that the next day will bring more opportunities. Before sleep, they prepare their bags so that they don’t get late for the next day or in case, they can forget important documents.
Typical timings of work:
A Nano technologist has to work 5-6 days per week, usually 40 hours a week. Sometimes, they have to work longer and on Saturdays to meet the deadlines.
Challenges in the life of a Nano technology Engineer:
- In medical nanotechnology, the limit to which changes can be made in humans is still debatable.
- Materials and their properties at the nanoscale behave differently than do at bulk. Caution has to be taken before any blood intoxication occurs while working.
- The issue of risk to the environment needs to be sorted out before proceeding with a particular project.
Pay packages for a Nano technologists:
A fresher in this field generally gets a package of INR 5 lakh per annum. Of course, with experience the pay scale goes high and in future it will be even higher as Nanotechnology develops in India.
In the US, the salary of nanotechnology engineering technicians ranges from $30,000 to $94,000 annually.
We hope that you enjoyed this blog, on a typical day in the life of a Nano Technology Engineer.
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