As gene editing makes the move from the research lab to the clinic, it may also fuel new job opportunities, BBC Capital reports.
It says the global genome editing market is predicted to reach $6.28 billion in value by 2022. In all, the UK estimates that gene and cell therapies will lead to the creation of 18,000 more jobs, while the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 7 percent increase in jobs for biomedical engineers and 13 percent for medical scientists, BBC Capital adds.
"Gene therapy is rapidly becoming an accepted and growing part of the medical research and development industry," Stanford University's Michele Calos, president of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, tells BBC Capital. "The growth of established and new gene therapy companies is expected to be accompanied by an increase in jobs, as these companies recruit scientists to staff their expanded operations."
But not only does the field need geneticists, molecular biologists, and bioengineers, BBC Capital says there is also expected to be demand for computer scientists and bioinformaticians to analyze the data and genetic counselors to interpret it for patients and their families.
"It is a really multi-disciplinary field," Güneş Taylor from the Francis Crick Institute says.