Stem Cell and Cell-Based Technologies

The Stem Cell and Cell-Based Technologies program uses intensive hands-on laboratory courses to train students to culture and genetically modify eukaryotic cells and tissues.  This prepares graduates to work in a biotechnology company that produces stem cells and other cell-based therapeutic products (e.g. CAR-T cell cancer therapies), or to pursue other emerging technologies in regenerative medicine.  The program incorporates gene editing tools to manipulate cells, introduction of genes using virus vectors and other techniques, and also explores promising eukaryotic cell production systems.  

20 per year

Solano Community College has built a reputation on Biomanufacturing.  For twenty years we have trained students to grow genetically engineered cells that produce protein products like antibodies.  But in the new manufacturing sector that is emerging, companies produce whole cells or tissues(or in the future organs) to treat diseases like cancer and to replace damaged or missing tissues.   This new program expands students’ knowledge and skills to allow them to work in this emerging field.  The courses all also serve as electives for the students enrolled in Solano College’s Bachelors of Science in Biomanufacturing degree.

 

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
CHEM 001 or CHEM 010 or CHEM 012	General Chem. I or Intermediate Chem. or Chem for Health Sciences	5 or 4 or 4	S1
BIO 014 or BIO 002	Principles of Microbiology or Cell/Molecular Biology	4 or 5	S2
BIOT 001	Principles of Biotechnology	3	S3
BIOT 062	Cell Culture and Protein Recovery	4	S3
BIOT 052	Business, Regulatory, and Quality Practices in Biotechnology	3	S1

BIOT 057	Synthetic Biology and Algae Biotech	3	S4
BIOT 060	Mammalian Cell Culture	3	S3
BIOT 061	Stem Cell	3	S4

The Stem Cell and Cell-Based Technologies certificate is latticed with Solano College's Industrial Biotechnology certificate.  It requires the same chemistry and biology prerequisites (CHEM 001 or CHEM 010 or CHEM 012 AND BIO 014 or BIO 002) and includes some of the same core Biotechnology courses (BIOT 001 and BIOT 052 and BIOT 062).  The prerequisite courses are counted as part of the certificate in an effort to avoid "hidden prerequisites."  A student who has completed the prerequisites can complete the certificate in two semesters; for the student without this background, the certificate will take four semesters.  BIOT 052 has no prerequisites and the Guided Pathway recommends that a student take this course in the first semester to confirm an interest in this field before committing to the other courses.  BIOT 001 and BIOT 062 and BIOT 060 will be taken in the third semester.  BIOT 057 and BIOT 061 will be taken in the fourth.  The new courses developed for this certificate (BIOT 057, BIOT 060, and BIOT 061) will also serve as electives for the Bachelors of Science in Biomanufacturing degree.  

This is an emerging field that is going to be huge and will require a giant workforce. Cell-based therapies are projected to be a $ 100 billion industry within the next 5 years. Currently there are no colleges in the United States with such a program. Jim DeKloe has been awarded a sabbatical for Fall 2019 to deliver the details of the program (specific lectures, special experiments, etc.)

We are working with a national consortium of biotechnology professors from 80 colleges from 40 states. Locally, we have worked with and obtained help from City College of San Francisco who has a Stem Cell certificate that is run by Bob Del Vecchio and Carin Zimmerman. They gave us excellent advice. Nationally, we are working most closely with Shoreline College (Seattle) which has a cell-based certificate program in development. They are working with industry and us to develop the program. Also nationally we are on a National Science Foundation-funded grant led by Madison Community College (WI). (The principle investigator of that grant is Tom Tubon.