Certificate Program Description
The Certificate Program in Basic Biotechnology Skills for Bioprocessing Operations consists of six course modules designed to collectively teach all the basic skills required of entry-level employees and to provide a record of competency in using these techniques. Each module carries RIT course credit totaling 17-credit hours upon completion of the entire program.
Each course module follows a general format. Lectures present selected topics and exercises to give students a solid background in the scientific principles upon which the technologies and applications used in modern biotechnology laboratories are based. Also, the course modules introduce students to the comprehensive vocabulary of these disciplines. Lab Exercises are hands-on and are designed to provide students with practical laboratory experiences that teach the principles discussed in lecture and to develop proficiency with the techniques used in bioprocessing applications. The lab protocol emphasizes proper GLP documentation: lab notebooks, SOPs, instrument verification records, maintenance log sheets, training records, and other requirements as designated by the FDA and used in industry.
Course Module 1
Basic Laboratory Skills in Bioprocessing Operations
Course content includes basic laboratory calculations, pH, buffer and reagent preparation, preparation of sterile solid and liquid microbiological media, colony agar plating methods, pipetting, measuring, and UV/VIS spectroscopy.
Course Module 2
Basic Microbiology in Bioprocessing Operations
Course content includes aseptic techniques, shake flask studies demonstrating growth requirements for bacterial and yeast cultures, environmental influences on cell growth, bacterial growth curves, influence of media variables on bacterial growth, bacterial cell maintenance and storage, fermentor design and application, water and soil analysis, and selective and differential plating.
Course Module 3
Basic Molecular Biology in Bioprocessing Operations
Course content includes methods used for organism design, genetic analysis, and strain validation applications, e.g., bacterial cell transformation, plasmid isolation, restriction enzyme analysis, agarose gel-based electrophoresis, PCR amplification, DNA sequencing, and computer-based DNA data analysis.
Course Module 4
Basic Protein Separation and Analysis in Bioprocessing Operations
Course content includes techniques used in protein separation, protein analysis, ELISA assay, and product storage applications, e.g. gene regulation/ expression, bacterial cell lysis, centrifugation, salt precipitation, chromatography (ion exchange, size exclusion, hydrophobic, affinity), and enzyme assay methods.
Course Module 5
Basic Tissue Culture for Bioprocessing Operations
Course content includes aseptic techniques, growth requirements and growth curves for suspension and attachment cultures, cell line maintenance, microcarrier systems and application, primary culture methods, serial dilution and cloning, cryopreservation, mycoplasma detection and basic animal handling.
Course Module 6
Basic Chromatography Skills in Bioprocessing Operations
Course content includes HPLC systems, GC-MS for separation and identification of volatile compounds in a mixture, and Size Exclusion Chromatography, as well as solid phase extraction / chromatography.
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