“Unprecedented opportunity” exists for job seekers in systems biology and bioinformatics, which seek not only biologists, but also engineers, chemists, mathematicians and computer programmers, according to Bernhard Palsson of the University of California, San Diego.

“New systems biology centers are being established worldwide,” said Lynn Hlatky, director of the center of cancer systems biology at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center at Tufts University in Boston.

These are the next decade’s hot jobs in the life sciences, according to a report in BioWorld Perspectives.

According to an article in Science, job opportunities in these fields are not necessarily tied to a specific geographic location, as researchers worldwide can collaborate on projects.

The Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics counted approximately 7,600 bioengineering and biomedical engineering jobs in a recent survey. Most bioengineering specialists’ work is in manufacturing industries, such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical instrument development and healthcare supply. Others work for hospitals, government agencies or as independent contractors or consultants.

The government predicts bioengineering and biomedical engineering jobs will increase by nearly 32% over the next five years. During the next decade, bioengineering positions are projected to increase at nearly double the average rate for all other types of jobs.