Biotech Skills Taught in Community Colleges

Be able to culture, maintain, and scale algal strains under sterile conditions. Perform growth monitoring and analysis.

Maintain records, draw blood, monitor health, maintain a healthy environment with clean cages. An animal care specialist needs to be observant and notice if animals seem sick or behave in an unusual fashion.

Be able to purify and properly store antibodies and perform a variety of techniques where antibodies are used such as ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assays) and Western blots.

Includes machine learning. Understand the differences between models (regression, neural networks, large language). Be familiar with tools like ChatGPT and their limitations.

Work with biological or sterile materials without contamination in a biosafety hood. Start cultures (seeding), count cells, maintain cells, split (passaging), use cryopreservation to store cells.

Be able to use a variety of assays for measurement, record, analyze, and plot the resulting data. Understand how to prepare and use a standard curve. Understand how protein and enzyme assays are conducted.

Be able to use laboratory robots such as liquid handelers, understand data reports. Optionally, program robots.

Understand tools like BLAST, how genomic and other databases are used, and work with molecular structures in software such as iCn3D, PyMol, other others.

Understand upstream (aseptic technique, cell culture, bioreactors) and downstream processing (Tangential flow filtration, fill & finish, formulation).

Monitor production runs, complete cell culture maintenance tasks such as freezing, thawing, inoculating, passaging, counting cells, feeding cells.

Demonstrate proper gowning and cleanroom behavior.

Use Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Word or another writing program would be used to prepare technical documents and write reports. Excel is used to create spreadsheets, tables, and graphs, and for data analysis. PowerPoint is used to present results. Google Apps (Docs, Sheets, Slides) are an alternative.

Understand the principles of DNA sequencing and how different methods (Sanger, Illumina, Nanopore) are used.

Be able to analyze data by writing Python or R scripts. Optionally use understand and use Jupyter notebooks. Other skills may include database design and knowledge of SQL.

Using a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Ensure that manufacturing data is maintained, reviewed, analyzed, assessed, ensuring accuracy and compliance. Perform database searches to locate test methods and specifications.

Be able to maintain paper or electronic lab notebooks. Promptly and accurately enter information, calculate, and report results.

Prepare and stain cells for flow cytometry analysis, operate a flow cytometer, troubleshoot problems, collect and analyze flow cytometry data.

Understand how mixtures are separated through chromatographic techniques. Be able to describe the differences between affinity, ion exchange, and gel filtration chromatography.

Be able to prepare and sterilize media for a variety of organisms. Prepare solutions that contain one or more ingredients and a variety of concentrations (M, N, weight %, weight/volume). This involves using dry ingredients and /or stock solutions and includes adjusting the pH.

Know how to culture, identify, and enumerate microbes. Microbiologists must be able to isolate and obtain pure cultures of bacteria and other microbes. They must also be able to identify sources of microbial contamination and know how to use sterilization and filtration to control microbial growth.

Understand molecular biology techniques (plasmid purification, restriction digests, agarose gel electrophoresis), when and why they are used and what they measure.

Understand PCR principles and be able to set up reactions and use PCR for a variety of applications. Optionally use primer design software.

Grow plant cells aseptically monitor of callus and shoot/root development. Prepare plant tissue culture media.

Understand protein purification methods including liquid chromatography. Be able to measure protein concentrations via absorbance or assay. Prepare, run, stain an SDS-PAGE gel to observe protein sizes.

Be able to track inventory and vendors. Understand quality systems.

Understand current Good Manufacturing Practices and how they apply to industries that produce pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages. Be able to describe CAPA and know how to collect information, analyze information, identify and investigate product and quality problems, and take appropriate and effective corrective and/or preventive action to prevent their recurrence.

Know the differences between qPCR and PCR and how qPCR is used.