Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture

Courses that are part of the Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture curriculum are designed to prepare students to work in the biotechnology industry by providing instruction and training in basic and advanced laboratory procedures as well as specialized training in stem cell culture techniques. This is an interdisciplinary program including courses and practical training in math, chemistry, and biology. Emphasis is placed on program participants developing the necessary employability skills and competency for working in a laboratory environment, specifically in biomedical and academic laboratories performing research in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

The program offers classroom instruction in a working laboratory setting and cell culture facility and assistance in finding appropriate on-site internships providing practical work-based experience in the biotechnology industry. Students must be able to provide their own transportation in the final semester(s) to an internship site. Employment opportunities include: biomedical industry, academic research institutions, pharmaceuticals companies, and genetic engineering laboratories.

An Associate in Science degree is awarded upon completing the requirements to earn a Certificate of Achievement in Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture as well the required GE units.  A Certificate of Achievement is awarded upon completion of all required courses with a grade of C or better. 

Program Outcomes:

1.      Evaluate and write laboratory documents including SOPs, protocols, notebook documentation, and reviews of scientific research literature.  

2.       Use, maintain, calibrate and/or validate standard laboratory equipment to perform stem cell culture and manipulation techniques.

3.       Be prepared for entry-level technician positions in laboratories performing stem cell research in the biological technology industry and in research institutes.

 

Recommended Preparation:

BIOL 110 or equivalent, CHEM 022 or equivalent

E

Certificate of Achievement: Stem Cell Culture	2016-2017	2017-2018	2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021
Number of Certificates	6	6	6	5	9

Based on the average number of students who earn a Certificate of Achievement in Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture, the number of projected students or annual completers to be awarded the Associate in Science Degree in Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture each year is approximately 6.

Pasadena City College provides career and technical education in a variety of programs, including Biological Technology since 1997.  A Certificate of Achievement in Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture was added in 2005.

The goals of the Biotechnology Certificate Programs are to:

• prepare students for careers in research, both in academia and in industry;
•  ensure that students are competitive when applying to institutions of higher education;
• offer enhanced educational activities to regional high schools;
•  include individuals who are from underrepresented and diverse student populations;
• facilitate internships and advanced training opportunities in a variety of research fields, including stem cell biology and bioinformatics;
• and provide a well trained workforce to the local research community, at various educational and technical levels.

The Keck Biotechnology Program achieves these goals by providing program participants an opportunity to develop occupational skills required for working in a laboratory environment, including;

• performing basic and advanced laboratory techniques;
• collecting, documenting, and analyzing data;
• and participating in short-term independent projects. 

The core curriculum comprises instruction and hands-on training in general laboratory skills, advanced DNA and protein techniques, computational methods, and mammalian cell culture procedures. Additional biotechnology courses providing specialized instruction in stem cell culture techniques is required for the Associate in Science Degree and Certificate of Achievement in Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture.

The Program Outcomes for the Associate of Science degree and Certificate of Achievement in Biological Technology -Stem Cell Culture are as follows:

1. Evaluate and write laboratory documents including SOPs, protocols, notebook documentation, and reviews of scientific research literature.  

2.Use, maintain, calibrate and/or validate standard laboratory equipment to perform stem cell culture and manipulation techniques.

3. Be prepared for entry-level technician positions in laboratories performing stem cell research in the biological technology industry and in research institutes.

An Associate in Science degree is awarded upon completing the requirements to earn a Certificate of Achievement in Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture as well the required GE units.  A Certificate of Achievement is awarded upon completion of all required courses with a grade of C or better.

Biotechnology courses are taught in a working laboratory setting and cell culture facility and include hands-on laboratory activities that require extensive oversight by the instructor; therefore class is limited in size to provide the appropriate level of instruction and a safe working environment for students.  Recommended class size ranges from 12 to 16.

Employment opportunities upon earning an Associate in Science degree and Certificate of Achievement in Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture are available in the following areas: biomedical industry, academic research institutes, pharmaceutical companies, and genetic engineering facilities, specifically performing stem cell culture.

Occupations include: biological technicians; chemical technicians; quality assurance technicians; control analysts; manufacturing production technicians; clinical laboratory technologists and technicians; and bioengineers and biomedical engineers.

The Associate in Science degree and Certificate of Achievement in Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture require completion of the core biotechnology courses that provide basic and advanced laboratory skills as well as cell culture techniques to prepare students to work in the biotechnology industry and academic research facilities.  After completion of the laboratory techniques training courses, participation in an internship in the biotechnology industry or an academic research laboratory to gain practical experience is required.  In addition, completion of the Cell and Molecular Biology course that provides instruction on basic principles of cell and molecular biology using mouse embryonic fibroblasts and mouse embryonic stem cells as model biological systems is required. The course includes instruction on stem cell culture and manipulation techniques including representative methods used in biomedical and academic laboratories performing research in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Additional courses offering stem cell-related curriculum, Applications of Fluorescence Microscopy, Specialized Techniques and Instrumentation in Biotechnology, and Scientific Method as Critical Thinking with a focus on stem cell literature, are also required.  Completion of the courses providing instruction and training in specialized stem cell culture techniques and research applications is needed to complete the educational requirements for the Biological Technology - Stem Cell Culture Associate in Science Degree and Certificate of Achievement.    

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
BIOL 102A	Biological Technology - Basic Techniques	3	Y1, S1
CHEM 001A	General Chemistry and Chemical Analysis	5	Y1, S1
STAT 018 OR STAT 050/50H	Statistics for Behavioral and Social Sciences OR Elementary Statistics	4 4	Y1, S1
ENGL 001A/001AH	Reading and Composition	4	Y1, S1
BIOL 102B	Biological Technology - Advanced Techniques	3	Y1, S2
BIOL 102C	Biological Technology - Cell Culture Techniques	3	Y1, S2
BIOL 010A	Cellular Biology, Genetics and Evolution	5	Y1, S2
PHSC 002	Scientific Method as Critical Thinking	3	Y1, S2
BIOL 038	Cell and Molecular Biology	4	Y1, S3 or  Y2, S4
BIOL 003  OR BIOL 039 OR BIOL 010C OR MICR 002 OR BIOL 104B	Human Biology  OR Modern Human Genetics OR Genetics OR Microbiology OR Microbiological Applications used in Biotechnology	4 4 3 4 4	Y2, S4
BIOL 104A	Applications of Fluorescence Microscopy	2	Y2, S4
BIOL 104E	Specialized Techniques and Instrumentation in Biotechnology	1	Y2, S4
BIOL 102D	Biological Technology - Laboratory Internship	3	Y2, S4

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Regional colleges near the PACCD service area offer biotechnology programs but do not offer a stem cell culture program.

54 non-duplicative enrollments in academic year 2018