BioSCOPE - Biotechnology Supply Chain Operation Projects for Education
What is our objective? To strengthen career and technical (CTE) programs in the region by preparing students for high demand, high wage jobs in the biotechnology/life science sector through hands-on, real-life manufacturing experience.
The core principle underlying this project is quality. All products undergo manufacturing principles at each site and perform quality control for the products. Another aim is to also have simulated audits at each manufacturing site.
How are we meeting our objective? We provide...
1. ...work-based skills to community college and high school students in the biotechnology/life science pathway by manufacturing products used in high school and college biology/biotechnology programs.
2. ...a skilled workforce for the biotechnology/life science industry. Students in this project are producing materials and reagents for instructional kits following cGMP processes and standard quality control.
3. ...an environment for students to practice professional skills. Students will communicate with the customer and auditors by showing and articulating what they are learning and how they are following manufacturing processes. Students will work as a team, utilize interpersonal and business communication, critical thinking and work-place discipline skills through this project.
Who are the partners?
The customer: BABEC, Bay Area Bioscience Education Community, a non-profit that provides bioscience resources and curricula to high school and community college teachers.
The manufacturers: Community colleges in the northern region: Laney, Ohlone, Skyline, Solano College, City College of San Francisco, Contra Costa College, Las Positas and Merritt College.
The consumer: high school and community college teachers and students that receive the products from BABEC.
Background
The Life Sciences/Biotechnology Supply Chain/Operations Project initiated in August 2016 with a pilot project funded by the Deputy Sector Navigator of Biotechnology/Life Sciences, Josie Sette, of California Community College's Doing What Matters. Three community colleges in the Northern California region, Laney, Ohlone and Skyline, manufactured products in the form of LB agar plates, bottles of LB agar and calcium chloride needed by a non-profit organization, BABEC (Bay Area Bioscience Education Community.) BABEC in turn provided the products to their consumers, high school teachers in the region.
In March 2017, the project was funded by the Strong Workforce Program of the California Community Colleges from July 2017-December 2018. Solano College was added to the project and BABEC hires the project manager of the SCOpe project.