Dream Job: Jim Watson, head of biotech company, Genesis

By LIAM DANN

Jim Watson, who heads New Zealand's largest biotechnology company, Genesis, won't stray too far from his chosen field when talking about his dream job.

But he admits that if he had his time again, he would like to have been a marine biologist.

"I think that the next great frontier for development are the oceans. I'm fascinated by how the oceans could be used in the future."

He's not a diver but says he is very interested in the technology that is being developed to breed fish, understand their migration and to look at the potential mineral wealth that is on the seabed.

"The whole business of how the oceans appear to be absolutely crucial in modifying climate and things, I like that."

Watson has a PhD in molecular biology and was a professor at the University of Auckland before founding Genesis in 1994.