How’s your college’s flow cytometer? Check on its bioprinter lately? Or the wave bioreactor?
These are among the equipment Lone Star College (LSC) recently purchased as part of a $500,000 investment for its biotechnology and biopharmaceutical manufacturing programs. Specifically, the purchases are for the college’s Biotechnology Institute and associate of applied science (AAS) degree program to train students to become laboratory technicians in the life science and chemical technology industries.
The equipment is critical to prepare students for the growing fields, which expect 10,000 open biotechnology positions annually over the next decade, said Mischelle Hopper, dean of natural sciences and health at LSC’s Montgomery campus.
“Biopharmaceutical manufacturing is experiencing tremendous growth in recent years because of the advances in gene and cellular therapies and numerous innovations in therapeutic protein and mRNA vaccine development,” added Daniel Kainer, director of LSC’s Biotechnology Institute. “The new equipment will help to ensure the future workforce will have the technical knowledge and expertise to help create cures, treatments and other solutions that will benefit the public for years to come.”
So, what’s a flow cytometer, bioprinter and wave bioreactor?
- A flow cytometer detects and analyzes chemical and physical properties of a population of cells or particles.
- A bioprinter is used in cancer, stem cell and many other areas of research that can print biological materials, including living cells, in precise, high-resolution patterns that mimic 3D architectures typically found in human tissues. One day, bioprinters may even play a role in printing organs for transplant patients.
- A wave bioreactor helps produce large quantities of cells grown in suspension, typically used in cell, gene and stem cell therapy and therapeutic protein production.
LSC will also develop a “cleanroom” — a controlled environment that minimizes contamination and helps maintain sterile conditions.
This fall, the biotech program will start a new degree plan that includes a campus-based capstone experience with hands-on research and manufacturing projects.
Part of growth plan
The life science industry generates billions of dollars in revenue, employing more than 100,000 workers in Texas. Local officials plan to expand the biotechnology footprint in the Houston area by offering biomanufacturing companies premium land across 80 acres to build state-of-the-art facilities. LSC-Montgomery is increasing offerings through the Biotechnology Institute to meet this demand and ensure trained professionals are ready to take the industry to the next level.
“The biotechnology industry is filled with companies in Houston and beyond that engage in a wide variety of technological innovations that have a positive impact on numerous challenges facing humanity,” Kainer said. “Technicians are the lifeblood of this industry and are in extremely high demand. Our biotechnology graduates find themselves in advantageous employment positions that offer excellent prospects and livable wages.”
The Biotechnology Institute opened in 2001 to support the biotechnology industry in the greater Houston area, recruit local high school students for the workforce program and create shorter training opportunities that pair with the college’s associate degree in biotechnology and advanced technical certificate.
Proof in the field
Graduates like Paola Olivo are trained in several sectors, including pharmaceutical, cell biology, agriculture, biofuels, microbiology and molecular diagnostics.
“The Lone Star College-Montgomery Biotechnology Institute is a rigorous program that prepared me to enroll in the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center School of Health Professions (MDACCSHP),” Olivo said. “I was able to step into many of M.D. Anderson’s courses easily with the great foundation I received at Lone Star College, allowing me to focus on other unfamiliar areas.”
Olivo is a medical technologist in the Molecular Oncology Laboratory under the Genomic Medicine Pathology Department at Texas Children’s Hospital. She runs diagnostic assays for leukemia and point mutations to help doctors prescribe the right treatment choices for patients. Olivo earned an AAS degree in biotechnology from LSC-Montgomery in 2018, a bachelor of science degree in molecular genetic technology from MDACCSHP in 2020 and is pursuing a master’s degree in biomedical informatics.
“I don’t see patients in the laboratory, but I know their blood, bone marrow and tissue tumor samples are precious, and how I handle, process and run those tests is crucial,” Olivo said. “Lone Star College’s biotechnology program taught me troubleshooting, problem-solving, maturity and accountability skills, leading me to the level of professionalism I strive to be.”
