Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

View news from biotechnology consulting trade organizations

Some of the best and latest news is compiled by trade associations and other groups at work in the biotechnology consulting sector. Browse these websites for specific news on the applications you are interested in getting involved with.

I recommend: Get up-to-date news from around the state from the Tennessee Biotechnology Association: "the Quality of Life Sciences..." For more, check out the detailed website of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Look for biotechnology consulting blogs

Blogs are another rich source for industries like biotechnology consulting. Feature-rich blogs inform readers on aspects of the agendas of biotech consulting firms and businesses who employ them.

I recommend: Find diverse news on promising new technologies, failed applications and more at the BioTech Weblog. Find more from the Business Exchange blog at Business Week.

Get more from online biotechnology consulting magazine sites

Online magazines are another area for getting informed: as resources that are designed to bring news on the industry, these can be efficient ways to get 'plugged in.'

I recommend: Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News online has accumulated a wealth of resources about the growth of an already large industry and how it proceeds with getting new products into the consumer set. The BioTech online magazine has its own sources on immunology, gene therapy and other alternative medicine topics and more biotechnology consulting applications.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When checking into news and trends on biotechnology consulting, be sure you can apply what you have learned to your own business. Think about how you will best partner with biotech specialists or life sciences consulting shops to make your visions into realities.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Research a biotechnology consultant thoroughly

Ask for and call on all the referrals given to you by your potential biotech consultants. Since this is such a new and growing industry segment, you'll want to make sure you are bringing in top professionals since it is your business on the line.

I recommend: Bio Smart Brief is an online newsletter that covers biotech consulting companies and can offer tips when looking to hire a biotech consultant. Check the credentials of a prospective biotech consultant at MacRae's Blue Book.

Use a short-term biotechnology consulting contract to create a template for your project

Bring in the biotech experts to write the basic terms and conditions of your project before turning it over to staff or funding the project. Save possible time and money on proposals that may not work after all.

I recommend: Hire a firm such as Biotechnology Business Consultants who specialize in project planning and development. Big outfits such as Frost and Sullivan can even come in and offer preliminary research to let you know if you should even go in the projected direction you are considering.

Turn the biotech specialists into in-house employees

While many biotechnology specialists prefer to move from company to company to work on a limited basis and get a variety of projects under their belts, many other biotechnology consultants are looking for permanence with a solid company that has room for growth. consider adding a biotech expert to your payroll so that you don't have to deal with the issues associated with outsourcing.

I recommend: Vault offer job descriptions and current salary ranges for in-house biotech experts. And the Sci Web Biotechnology Career Center has an enormous database of professionals seeking permanent placement.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Biotechnology experts do not typically care where they work as long as they are continually challenged. Provide an exciting environment and you can forgo the consultancy search once you've hired the best for your own staffing requirements.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Work with biotechnology consulting associations to find specific consulting solutions

Sometimes, big groups of biotech consulting firms in the form of trade organizations can provide effective online research solutions. Check out the detailed websites of these agencies to find what you need.

I recommend: The BioIndustry Association has numerous resources on using biotech. Get more from the International Biopharmaceutical Association online.

Work with biotechnology business consultants for helping roll out health care products

If your business has the initiative for anything related to the 'health and beauty' consumer arena, let biotech firms help you put your ideas on the map.

I recommend: Heritage Technical Services has worked with healthcare products providers like Merck to develop working business plans. Put them to work for you. Global Quality Alliance in Colorado also has pharma experience and can help with developing health care products.

Work with biotech consulting firms for other industrial applications

No matter what your design includes, a skilled biotechnology consultant firm can take your existing work and transform it into something that has commercial application. Talk to biotechnology experts and biotech specialists about specific options for unrolling projects.

I recommend: IMS Health will provide specialized implementation for your product concepts. For biochem and molecular biotechnology sources, try Intota.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before getting involved in a biotechnology consultant contract, see how you will integrate your existing business knowledge and prototype designs into something you can hand off to a consulting firm. All of the groundwork needs to be in hand before the agency can 'take off' with it.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics is the combination of technology and molecular biology that uses statistical processes to solve research problems.

I recommend: The National Center for Biotechnology Information provides basic information explaining bioinformatics and uses for the concept.

FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research is the regulatory body of the federal government. It oversees the development of new drugs as well as investigating existing drugs on the market.

I recommend: Find out more about the role of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research from its website.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Immunohistochemistry is a biotechnology specialty that studies the relationship of antibodies and antigens by identifying and isolating proteins in tissue cells. This process helps to detect cancer and other illnesses.

I recommend: Thermo Scientific provides an introduction to immunohistochemistry and the processes of fixing and staining tissue samples.

Bioethics

Bioethics is the study of ethical issues regarding advancements in the area of biotechnology. Bioethics is used to raise questions and shed light on ethical issues for new discoveries in science and technology.

I recommend: The President's Council on Bioethics provides reports and transcripts on issues regarding biotechnology and public policy.

Strategic analysis

Strategic analysis is the process of reviewing information about the internal processes of an organization. For biotechnology consultants, this review of information is used to help an organization form a strategy for creating and marketing new products.

I recommend: News-Medical provides information explaining the importance of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies forming strategic alliances for creating better research and marketing strategies.

Quality assurance

Quality assurance is the process of examining a company's product throughout the different stages of production. Quality assurance works to ensure that only a quality product or service will be presented to the consumer.

I recommend: The Biotech Learning Institute provides a course for regulatory and compliance in biotechnology, which prepares a professional for a position working with quality assurance testing.