Description : Our grant funding is supporting, with the input of our local area bioscience industry, the development of two genome editing courses to be implemented into our biotechnology program at St. Louis Community College Florissant Valley. These courses will provide advanced coursework in the technologies and procedures used in the genome editing laboratories locally, while providing a great overview and understanding of the editing of a genome, and the ethics and concepts involved. Students will learn the basic history and ideas behind each of the hands-on laboratory techniques they will actually do in the lab, guided by instructors well ... Read more
Description : Our CCSF-UCSF team developed training to promote more inclusive workplace practices for biotechnology community college students and mentor-managers working within an academic research setting. We are currently enhancing those trainings to promote similar practices within industry workplaces. Along with this adaptation, we’ll be disseminating those trainings nationwide to community college students and biotech-bioscience mentor-managers through online platforms to foster the knowledge and skills needed to encourage more inclusivity and dismantle systemic barriers for community college students in the biotech-bioscience workplace. Speakers : James Lewis & Karen Leung, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA Read more
Description : Our ATE grant in part researches influences on students’ career goals at a diverse, urban community college. Specifically, we look for links between career goals and demographic characteristics, science identity, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation. This research helps us to understand motivations of major choice and helps us to better design program marketing and course content to encourage groups underrepresented in science to pursue scientific fields. Speaker : Kristyn VanderWaal Mills (Co-Principal Investigator), Saint Paul College, St. Paul, Minnesota Read more
Description : This NSF funded project supports City College of San Francisco’s Biotechnology program to work with local high schools to spark the interest of high school students in biotechnology. The project includes hand-on activities in the form of field trips or classroom visits and work-based experiences that include paid internships. In addition, we will develop outreach and instructional videos to supplement the instructional material and strengthen the student learning experience. Speaker : Golnar Afshar PhD, Biotechnology Instructor, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA Read more
Description : Did you know that universities and research institutions are major biotechnology employers? And, did you know that shared research resource facilities (core labs) support modern research in these institutions and need an advanced technical workforce with the kinds of skills we teach our students? Core labs enable efficient and widespread access to state-of-the-art technologies and scientific expertise that have accelerated research for over 40 years. These technologies include genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, imaging, flow cytometry, and others to form the foundation of biotechnology research, development, and production. Many core lab directors and staff are members of the Association of ... Read more
The Technician Training in CRISPR-based Gene Editing project aims to bridge the gap in the rate of development and training of community college students to meet industry needs in the rapidly evolving field of gene editing. This NSF-funded ATE project brings cutting-edge techniques and tools developed by researchers at the Gene Editing Institute (GEI), ChristianaCare Health System, to students in the biotechnology program at Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC). To spread the impact, faculty professional development workshops have been conducted focusing on Community College faculty to assist in incorporation of CRISPR curricula to technician training programs across the country. Speaker ... Read more
Harford Community College’s “Building Interest and Opportunities Through Engagement and Collaborative Pathways” (BIOTECH Pathways) program creates paths for high school students to progress through Harford Community College (HCC) to a biotechnology career or further study at a four-year institution. Supported by an NSF ATE grant, HCC has developed an A.A.S. in Biotechnology and a revised Biotechnology Certificate to align with industry skills, knowledge, and competencies. Furthermore, HCC aims to increase the number of students, including those historically underrepresented in STEM, who enroll in and complete the biotechnology programs through outreach workshops and summer programs for high school students and parents. ... Read more
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 Read more
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 ... Read more
Description : Our mission is to anchor a unified credentialing system within the industry by expanding state-level adoption of the Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam (BACE). This will provide a validated talent pool to benefit industry and provide job candidates a mechanism to showcase their mastery of competencies and skills in demand by industry. Our goals are to establish task forces, testing sites, and teacher training in California, Washington, Georgia, Texas, and Nebraska. Speakers : Tamara Mandell, Bridgette Kirkpatrick, and Philip Gibson Additional resources : Learn more about the Implementation of an Industry-Recognized Credentialing System for Biotechnicians ATE project Read about ... Read more
Description : Biotechnology employers offer well-paying, interesting jobs, that provide their employees with opportunities to make meaningful contributions to others lives and well-being. We built the Biotech-Careers.org website to show the world that students from biotechnology education programs at community and technical colleges are being hired and making contributions to this important and thriving part of the bioeconomy. Biotech-Careers.org contains career descriptions based on industry job titles, information about different sectors of the biotech industry, stories about our alumni, and a database of over 9000 employers, with links to their career pages, 805 of whom have hired our graduates, and ... Read more
Hands-on Curriculum, Analytics, and Equipment for Cell and Gene Therapy Hands-on Curriculum Analytics Analytics for AAV transduction Dominique Ingato and Margaret Bryans Analytics for AAV production Isso Bayala Equipment necessary to train Cell and Gene therapy technicians Barbara Juncosa Read more
Welcome and introductions - Russ Read New learning module for Cell and Gene Therapy - John Cumbers, Built with Biology, LalTal Update on cell and Gene therapy skill standards - Margaret Bryans and Jim DeKloe Cell and Gene therapy analytics and microbiological control - Jim DeKloe and Margaret Bryans Read more
Margaret Bryans introduces the workshop. James DeKloe provides an introduction to cell and gene therapy. This work was funded by a grant from the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals. (NIIMBL) through the Workforce Expansion in Biomanufacturing Emerging Technologies (WEBET) project. Six colleges are collaborating on the WEBET project: Forsyth Community and Technical College (Russ Read) MiraCosta College (Barbara Juncosa and Dominique Ignato) Montgomery County Community College (Margaret Bryans) Quincy College (Isso Bayala) Shoreline Community College (Louise Petruzzella) Solano College (James DeKloe) Read more
Russ Read presents data on the growing need for technicians in cell and gene therapy. This work was funded by a grant from NIIMBL through the Workforce Expansion in Biomanufacturing Emerging Technologies (WEBET) project A labor market analysis, produced through the WEBET project, can be downloaded from Biomanufacturing.org Visit the Cell and Gene Therapy page at Biotech-Careers.org to view interactive maps with links to over 247 companies working in these areas. Read more
Barbara Juncosa, James DeKloe, Margaret Bryans talk about how to teach the concepts and hands-on skills needed for preparing students to work in Cell and Gene Therapy. This work was funded by NIIMBL through the Workforce Expansion in Biomanufacturing Emerging Technologies (WEBET) project Read more
Isso Bayala talks about laboratory methods for producing Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) in mammalian cells. This work was funded by NIIMBL through the Workforce Expansion in Biomanufacturing Emerging Technologies (WEBET) project Read more
Speakers : Elizabeth Boedeker, Ph.D. (District Director, Center for Plant and Life Sciences and BioBench CRO Coordinator, St. Louis Community College) Linnea Fletcher, Ph.D. (PI, InnovATEBIO and Head of the Biotechnology Program, Austin Community College) Leigh Brown (Curriculum Training Specialist, Bio-Rad Laboratories Explorer Program) Read more
