ATE Project Talks: Biotech Training at WISTAR and CUREs for Antibody Engineering

Welcome to the second set of talks in the InnovATEBIO 2022 series of virtual ATE project talks.  This series features leaders in biotechnology workforce education from across the US sharing their work on exciting projects funded by the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program.  The ATE program supports the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy.

In these second two talks, we'll learn about the Wistar Institute's Biomedical Technician Training program and about using a hackathon to develop undergraduate research projects related to antibody engineering.

Each talk will be 20 minutes, followed by 15 minutes for questions and discussion.

View the whole series of InnovATEBIO 2022 ATE project talks.

Talk 1:  The Wistar Institute’s Biomedical Technician Training (BTT) Program: Reflecting on our Past and Planning for the Future

Description:  Since 2000 The Wistar Institute has operated the Biomedical Technician Training (BTT) Program to prepare students from the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) for laboratory positions. Our NSF ATE Project, Expansion, Curriculum Evolution, and Enhancement during BioTechnician Training (ExCEEd BTT) has three primary goals: 1) include more students from new community college partners in the region, 2) develop a novel curriculum based on Wistar research that effectively engages underrepresented students, and 3) redesign the program as a one-summer pre-apprenticeship with internships in academic and industry labs.

Speaker:  Kristy Shuda McGuire, M.S., Ph.D., Dean of Biomedical Studies, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA

• Learn more about the Expansion, Curriculum Evolution, and Enhancement of Biotechnician Training ATE project

Talk 2:  Developing CUREs for Antibody Engineering

Description:  Antibodies are arguably the most important class of proteins in biotechnology. These proteins are used in biological research, clinical diagnostic tests, therapeutic drugs, and laboratory services. Over 333 US employers in over 500 locations carry out research and / or manufacture products based on antibodies including rapid tests for COVID-19.  The expanding use of antibodies as therapeutic drugs is spurring companies to hunt for antibodies with new specificities.  At the same time, the challenges with antibody manufacturing and stability are encouraging companies to engineer these proteins to lower production costs. We are responding to the need for creating new antibodies and antibodies that can be manufactured more easily by developing research projects that incorporate related topics and technical skills.  This talk will focus on the results of our first Antibody Engineering Hackathon, which we launched as a means to catalyze project creation and build a community of collaborators.     

Speakers:  Sandra Porter, PhD, Sheela Vemu, PhD

• Learn more about the Antibody Engineers ATE project
• ATE-PI 2021 Antibody Engineers project video
• Read about the Antibody Engineering Hackathon 2022
• What did the student participants think? Read about one student's 2022 Antibody Hackathon Experience