Salt Lake Community College

Cytozyme, Idaho Technology, Inc., Nelson Laboratories, Watson Pharmaceuticals

SLCC offers two unique internship experiences.

• InnovaBio:

The InnovaBio Program is a unique career and technical education program in Utah aimed at training high school and college students for entry-level positions in the biotechnology industry. It prepares students for immediate hands-on work in critical, high-impact industries in a way no other training program does.

• STUDENTfacturED:

STUDENTfacturED is a real manufacturing-based company run by students that will manufacture instructional biotechnology reagents and supplies to sell to college and local high school instructors. STUDENTfacturED is being developed and implemented through collaboration between Biomanufacturing Program/Biotechnology Department and the School of Business at SLCC.

SLCC Biotechnology

What Is Biotechnology At SLCC

Biotechnology is a group of related technologies that use biological agents in a broad spectrum of applications to provide goods and services. In only a few years, biotechnology has revolutionized many disciplines including medicine, agriculture, and environmental science. The Biotechnology Technician Program provides students of diverse backgrounds with the knowledge and skills needed to perform competently in a life sciences laboratory environment. The industry is a large and growing contributor to regional and national economic output. As such, Biotechnology is an important emerging industry that is expected to contribute dramatically to the 21st century economy and is thus an excellent career choice for students.
Program personnel seek to foster a sense of excitement for scientific discovery, teamwork, critical thinking, effective communication, and a positive attitude in students. In addition, partnerships with local industries provide students with the most current and cutting edge knowledge and techniques in the field. The program provides hands-on experience with over 100 hours spent in the laboratory, beginning in the first semester.

Biotechnology is the use of biological agents in a broad spectrum of applications to provide goods and services. The Biotechnology Technician Program strives to provide students of diverse backgrounds with the knowledge and skills needed to perform competently in a biotechnology laboratory environment. Biotechnology is a group of related technologies that in only a few years has revolutionized many disciplines including medicine, agriculture, and environmental science. The industry is a large and growing contributor to regional and national economic output. As such, Biotechnology is an important emerging industry that is expected to contribute dramatically to the 21st century economy and is thus an excellent career choice for students.
The program personnel seek to foster a sense of excitement for scientific discovery, teamwork, critical thinking, effective communication, and a positive attitude in students. In addition, partnerships with local industries provide students with the most current and cutting edge knowledge and techniques in the field. The program provides hands-on experience with over 100 hours spent in the laboratory, beginning in the first semester.
Students gain skills in the following areas:
- DNA manipulation and analysis
- Expression and purification of proteins
- Cell culture techniques
- Enzyme and antibody assays
- Lab safety
-Critical thinking and problem solving

Additionally, students interested in the Biotechnology Program may have a passion in the following:
- A love of science and the application of science to human advancement
- A desire to solve problems
- An inquisitive mind and logical thinking

How Does This Program Differ From Other Programs

The program is unique in Utah. No other programs exist in the state that allows students to earn a degree at the Associates level that is focused exclusively on Biotechnology. Our partners at Utah Valley University (UVU) offer a 4-year completion that builds directly off the SLCC's Biotechnology degree. In addition, most Biotechnology courses are offered in the evenings to accommodate working students.
The Biotech degree at SLCC is unique in the extent to which it offers hands on instruction in research methods. Students in the program have unparalleled opportunities for work on independent research projects. and self study.

SLCC InnovaBio

InnovaBio is an innovative partnership of corporations and educators working to support Utah's biotechnology industry. We offer a low risk environment for organizations wishing to develop a product or wanting to explore new ideas using our state of the art biotechnology lab, qualified scientists and student interns. The challenging research completed by our interns creates a valuable talent pool for Utah biotechnology companies.
The overall goal of the contract research organization, InnovaBio, was to create flexible industry-based research internship opportunities that were available to high school and college students. InnovaBio contracts projects, both research and development and services, from local life science companies and interns work as teams to conduct the work. The work is conducted on-site at the Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Biotechnology labs and supervised by the InnovaBio scientific staff. Students receive credible research experience and internship credit.

Additionally, students will learn critical soft skills such as:
- Effective communication
- Effective team working
- Problem solving
- Leadership

Is InnovaBio For Me

Our mission is to mentor the next generation of Biotechnology Graduates and simultaneously assist local scientific and biotech enterprises in developing research projects.

OUR GOALS
1. Provide a challenging and exciting training environment for high school and college interns
2. Provide optimal access to all interns to increase success in their career path
3. Provide quality research services to contract company partners in a directed and timely fashion
4. Contribute to economic and workforce development for the State of Utah

SLCC Biomanufacturing

What Is The Biomanufacturing Program

The Biomanufacturing Program is offered through SLCC's Biotechnology Department, and provides specific and focused training for entry-to mid-level positions at companies that manufacture biotechnological products. Examples of such products are biofuels, dietary supplements, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and proteins or organic compounds purified from cells. The manufacturing processes for these products are typically very technical in nature.

Through a hands-on approach, students will learn industry-specific skills necessary to be a proficient worker right from the start. A few examples of the skills taught through this program are:
- Production processes and procedures
- Safety
- Quality systems and management
- Federal and international regulations
- Equipment maintenance and troubleshooting
- Good documentation practices
- Good manufacturing practices (GMP)
Additionally, students will learn critical soft skills such as:
- Effective communication
- Effective team working/building, especially with coworkers in other groups or departments
- Problem solving
- Leadership

How Does This Program Compair To Others Around the U.S.

The Biomanufacturing Program is a unique career and technical education program in Utah aimed at training college and high school students for entry- to mid- level production worker positions in the biotechnology industry. It prepares students very well for immediate hands-on work in critical, high-impact industries in a way no other general manufacturing training program can. A core focus of the Biomanufacturing Program is on quality systems & regulations as they relate to the biotechnology manufacturing industry. One of the Program's most exciting features is its many project-based learning and internship opportunities, which are tightly woven into the program's structure and enhance the regular course work.
Several biomanufacturing programs are offered at other community/technical colleges across the nation, especially colleges tied to biotechnology training centers such as those in California, the Midwest, New England, and North Carolina. What makes SLCC's program special is a new hands-on practical experience in the form of a student-run manufacturing enterprise (funded by a NSF ATE grant DUE-1003292). This enterprise will give students an opportunity to learn, apply, and reinforce life science-related quality and regulatory concepts & skills, as well as allow them to experience working in a good manufacturing practices (GMP) and regulatory compliant environment. Students exiting this program should have developed the competence and confidence necessary to have a successful career in this industry.

SLCC STUDENTfacturED

What?

STUDENTfacturED is a real manufacturing-based company run by students that will manufacture instructional biotechnology reagents and supplies to sell to college and local high school instructors. STUDENTfacturED is being developed and implemented through collaboration between Biomanufacturing Program/Biotechnology Department and the School of Business at SLCC. Biomanufacturing Program staff and faculty provides the necessary technical expertise to establish a 'regulated' manufacturing environment (i.e. scientific/technical methods and good manufacturing practices), and School of Business staff and faculty provides the necessary business expertise to establish the required business-related functions such as accounting, business management, legal concerns, and marketing/market research. Both staff and student participants should benefit from this unique biotechnology/business learning community. Students will be encouraged to learn about functions (technical vs. business) that are not related to their declared major.

Why?

To exploit benefits gained through project-based learning, STUDENTfacturED provides a mentored and supportive yet real-world working and learning manufacturing environment in which students can practice concepts and skills acquired through accompanying coursework. Such a training strategy is especially important to the successful and effective learning of quality systems and FDA regulations as they relate to the biotech manufacturing industry. While internships could provide this same learning opportunity, they are not readily available because of the highly regulated nature of the biotech manufacturing work environment. The goal of STUDENTfacturED is to prepare students, using contextual and practical training, for entry- and mid- level jobs in the biotech manufacturing industry.