The next century promises challenging career opportunities in biochemistry. During the past 15 years, Americans have become more concerned with benefiting from scientific innovations that can keep them in good health, feed them plentiful and healthy foods, and generally make their lives better. Because biochemistry is the study of the make-up and functioning of both animals and plants, biochemists in the 21st century will be concentrating on the practical job of improving people's comfort, health and welfare on this planet, and as we conquer the galaxies beyond the world we know.

Biochemistry is also tackling a problem just "to understand what is and how things work.'` For example, biochemists want to know why some of the proteins in the membrane quickly usher chemicals in and out of a cell or why other cells serve as beacons. Scientists would say there has been a quiet revolution going on. Biochemists, as well as molecular biologists, are striving to understand what gives people life, produces illness and even death. Knowledge uncovered by these two groups of scientists has led to multiple new life-enhancing medicines, reliable tests for a variety of illnesses and ideas to help clean up the planet's pollution. Both of these careerists also explore the tiny realm inside cells by working in a microscopic world.

According to the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, biochemists are:

• Creating genetically engineered crops more resistant to disease, frost, drought, spoilage and pests.
• Developing computerized portraits of enzymes and chemicals to determine their creation.
• Producing life-saving chemicals on a mass production scale that are helping heart attack victims as well as diabetics.
• Finding out how billions of cells recognize and communicate with each other in the human body.
• Working on finding out how AIDS, cancer and other diseases aren't detected by the immune system. Then, developing ways to fight these diseases.
• Programming bacteria to eat up toxic chemicals to clean up the environment.

It's not always easy to define the job of a biochemist because in addition to these specific areas, a biochemist may be at the center of every chemical event. Each year biochemists are finding new substances which have the properties needed to prevent or cure diseases. Other careerists concentrate on living things in order to provide the basis for advances in medical research and agriculture. Unraveling the numerous chemical mysteries is crucial in our next century. High school students willing to make a commitment to the field of science may want to consider following a career path resulting in benefits to mankind and the environment. While the road to becoming a biochemist is relatively long, it is a rewarding one. Biochemists have many options about where to work and which particular aspects to concentrate on.

Chemistry has attracted the interest of many high school students. If you are interested in chemistry as a scientific career, there are numerous possible areas you can focus on. Biochemists will always be in demand, and you can become part of this dynamic profession. Students, who may not want to travel down this long road but have a strong interest in science as well as technology, should consider a job as a biotechnology researcher - often called a "high-tech explorer." These researchers fuse biology, chemistry and technology to create medicine and treatment processes as well as medical devices.