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Molecular & Cellular Biologist

Science

Research and study cellular molecules and organelles to understand cell function and organization.

Science

Picture the job

Where you'd usually workA laboratory

  • Mostly indoors
  • Sitting for most of the day
  • Rarely dealing with the public
  • Regular working hours

An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.

In Malaysia

UPM offers cell and molecular biology study and thesis-based research. MARDI uses molecular biology and genomics in agricultural research; IMR uses molecular diagnostics in biomedical work. These are distinct application areas.

How people get into it here
SPM → science pre-university or relevant diploma → bachelor's in cell and molecular biology, biotechnology, genetics or a related field → laboratory or research role. A research master's and PhD are later options for independent or academic research, subject to admission and the post.

Sources:biotech.upm.edu.mymardi.gov.myimr.nih.gov.myspa.gov.my

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Agronomist / Agriculture Officer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. Typical entry

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree
The full route to this careerThe steps from school, UPU programmes and sourced costs, read against your answers.

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months
Compare routes against your results and interests

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Search the programme catalogue

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

Quick answers

How do you become a Molecular & Cellular Biologist in Malaysia?

SPM → science pre-university or relevant diploma → bachelor's in cell and molecular biology, biotechnology, genetics or a related field → laboratory or research role. A research master's and PhD are later options for independent or academic research, subject to admission and the post.

What should I study to become a Molecular & Cellular Biologist?

Related fields of study: Science. SPM subjects that help most: Biology, Additional Science, English and Chemistry.

How much does a Molecular & Cellular Biologist earn in Malaysia?

We don't yet have a Malaysian source we can cite for Molecular & Cellular Biologist pay, so we show no figure.

Biotechnology & STEM · Career guide

Molecular & Cellular Biologist

Studies molecules and structures within cells to understand cell function and organisation.

Work overview based on O*NET occupation sources; Malaysian study examples and context are linked below. Actual requirements depend on the programme and post.

What does the work involve?
  • Investigate cellular molecules and structures.
  • Study how cells are organised and function.
  • Analyse and report cellular research findings.
O*NET — Molecular and Cellular Biologists (work overview; US occupation data) ↗
Work settings and skills

Cell-biology, molecular-biology or biotechnology laboratories; applications vary by project.

  • Science
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Writing
O*NET — Molecular and Cellular Biologists (work overview; US occupation data) ↗
Study areas and planning after SPM

Molecular and cellular biology, genetics or biotechnology.

Planning example: SPM → science pre-university or a diploma meeting programme requirements → a relevant bachelor's → job applications or research training. Check each programme's special requirements and each vacancy.

UPM offers science and biotechnology programmes; compare course content with the biological field you want to explore.

These are study areas to explore, not verified admission rules for every programme. Check special requirements, recognition and curriculum directly with the institution.

Further study and professional checks

UPM offers thesis-based master's and PhD study with programme-specific admission rules. SPA's Research Officer Q9 scheme also accepts a relevant honours science bachelor's; postgraduate study is not required for every research post.

Check the actual vacancy before treating a qualification as sufficient. Study or training does not guarantee admission or employment.

Sources and checked date

Checked: 2026-11-10

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Maintain accurate laboratory records and data.
  2. 2Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
  3. 3Write grant applications to obtain funding.
  4. 4Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis.
  5. 5Conduct research on cell organization and function, including mechanisms of gene expression, cellular bioinformatics, cell signaling, or cell differentiation.
  6. 6Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations.
  7. 7Instruct undergraduate and graduate students within the areas of cellular or molecular biology.
  8. 8Direct, coordinate, organize, or prioritize biological laboratory activities.
  9. 9Compile and analyze molecular or cellular experimental data and adjust experimental designs as necessary.
  10. 10Evaluate new technologies to enhance or complement current research.
  11. 11Provide scientific direction for project teams regarding the evaluation or handling of devices, drugs, or cells for in vitro and in vivo disease models.
  12. 12Supervise technical personnel and postdoctoral research fellows.
  13. 13Monitor or operate specialized equipment, such as gas chromatographs and high pressure liquid chromatographs, electrophoresis units, thermocyclers, fluorescence activated cell sorters, and phosphorimagers.
  14. 14Conduct applied research aimed at improvements in areas such as disease testing, crop quality, pharmaceuticals, and the harnessing of microbes to recycle waste.
  15. 15Develop guidelines for procedures such as the management of viruses.
  16. 16Develop assays that monitor cell characteristics.
  17. 17Coordinate molecular or cellular research activities with scientists specializing in other fields.
  18. 18Verify all financial, physical, and human resources assigned to research or development projects are used as planned.
  19. 19Participate in all levels of bioproduct development, including proposing new products, performing market analyses, designing and performing experiments, and collaborating with operations and quality control teams during product launches.
  20. 20Evaluate new supplies and equipment to ensure operability in specific laboratory settings.
  21. 21Confer with vendors to evaluate new equipment or reagents or to discuss the customization of product lines to meet user requirements.
  22. 22Design databases, such as mutagenesis libraries.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Biologist
  • Scientist
  • Researcher
  • Cell Biologist
  • Postdoc Scholar
  • Neurophysiologist
  • Biology Researcher
  • Cellular Biologist
  • Postdoc Researcher
  • Research Associate

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BiologyDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional ScienceDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
ChemistryDraws directly on Chemistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Biology96%

    BiologyAdditional Science

  • English Language89%

    English

  • Chemistry82%

    Chemistry

  • Mathematics76%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Education and Training72%
  • Computers and Electronics68%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicNot at all
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentRarely
  • Time spent sittingAlmost all the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Inventory and order lab supplies.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

20%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.17%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job, and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

What beginner adverts asked for

We read 8 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.

5 of 8 were internships

Minimum CGPA asked

3.00 to 3.00

Stated in 2 adverts. Others did not state one.

Languages named

Bahasa Malaysia

An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Molecular and Cellular Biologists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org