Article contributed by Dr. Shelly Thai, Glendale Community College, CA, and Andreh Fiterz, PerkinElmer, Photo credit: Ken Allard/El Vaquero News

From Dr. Thai:

I'm a Biology faculty at Glendale Community College in California.

A few years ago, I developed a research course, Biology 298 - Undergraduate Research in Microbiology and Molecular Biology, to give undergraduates at our community college authentic, an opportunity to do hands-on research experience and also practice the associated critical thinking, analytical, and technical skills.

Many of our students transfer to the university and have been able to obtain either student research positions... Read more

Since 2018, the Biotechnology Program at City College of San Francisco (CCSF) has been hosting Speed Networking events with CCSF Biotech students and industry professionals. Since Spring 2020 we've adapted these events to be virtual and are using them even more broadly to not only promote student career exploration and networking, but also to build and maintaining industry partnerships and alumni networks, and recruitment new students to the program.

In Fall 2020 we utilized Zoom to host 3 virtual speed networking events:

Now Closed

In October 2019, InnovATE BIO (NSF DUE 1901984), was designated the National Biotechnology Education Center of the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The center works with two-year colleges throughout the US to develop workforce to support biotechnical enterprise. As part of a decentralized approach, InnovATEBIO is developing Community Hubs, “collaborative partnerships among community colleges, high schools, higher educational partners, workforce agencies, industry and/or trade organizations that support career pathways and develop a skilled technical workforce that meets the needs of the bioscience industry.”

Community Hubs provide distributed infrastructure... Read more

As reported in the Catalyst by Gabby Migliara on Oct 21st.

Medicines are responsible for more than a third of the improvement in life expectancy from 1990 to 2015, according to a recent s tudy published in Health Affairs . This underscores the crucial role of biopharmaceutical innovation, as life expectancy increased 3.3 years during that time period. For all causes of death, public health interventions were accountable for 44% of improved life expectancy, while pharmaceuticals were the second-leading cause of gains in life years at 35%. Notably, improvements in treatment thanks to biopharmaceutical... Read more

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News

Vacaville Unveils California Biomanufacturing Center

October 27, 2020

City of Vacaville officials say they have started the next-generation development of its biomanufacturing cluster by announcing plans to expand it on approximately 300 acres adjacent to existing facilities and to name the entire zone the California Biomanufacturing Center. At the same time, the city announced the creation of the California Biomanufacturing Center, Inc., a nonprofit that will work to accelerate the growth of the sector in Vacaville by working with industry and academic partners. Vacaville Mayor... Read more

Advanced microscopy trainee and technician Dante Malone assisted program director Gisele Giorgi with assembling home kits for our 57 microscopy trainees. These trainees will have one of 16 of our introductory Meiji scopes for a month at home. It’s not the same as being in our awesome microscopy lab, but the show must go on. These 57 trainees showed up during a pandemic to get training in microscopy, histotechniques, and genomics. This is your technician workforce, folks.

I’m proud to report this current cohort is more... Read more

Note : This article was written by Daria Sharko, a biotech student at MiraCosta College in California. Ms. Sharko contributed the photos as well.

Having biotechnology classes during the pandemic took an unexpected turn in Fall 2020. As an international student of the AS biotechnology program at MiraCosta College, I was preparing myself for a challenging atmosphere of COVID-19-impacted classes on campus. At least, the full PPE and the do-not-breath, do-not-touch ambiance of strict safety restrictions were anticipated. My experience with virtual labs and simulations last semester when colleges and students had to adapt to the rapidly... Read more

Please note : This article was written by Eric Devlin, Montgomery County Community College. Mr. Devlin also contributed the photos. The photos and text in this article are used with his permission.

Montgomery County Community College Biotechnology Program alumni are among the researchers on the front line against the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve helped develop an antibody that’s used to detect the virus in patient testing samples.

Alumni Amber Sawyer, Sean Heron and Seethal Meda are employees at the Limerick Township-based Rockland Immunochemicals Inc. , which earlier this year, developed the Anti-SARS-CoV Nucleocapsid (N) Protein... Read more

We wish Linda Rehfuss and Bruce VanDyke a happy retirement! The biotech education community is much stronger thanks to your many contributions.

Read more

The Agricultural Genomics Foundation (AGF), a nonprofit dedicated to scientific cannabis research has sponsored a new podcast called "Cannabis Science Today, " which focuses on the scientific and medical research in this field. The podcast is available to play on the AGF website and for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play. The first 7 episodes are available now. You can learn more at agriculturalgenomics.org/podcast/. Read more