BTEC, World Renowned Training Center Coming to New York City
The Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) is taking its show out of state and bringing it to INTERPHEX 2014 for the first time. This is an exciting opportunity for attendees to learn more about the hands-on training experience they offer. BTEC is a multidisciplinary instructional center at North Carolina State University that provides education and training to develop skilled professionals for the biomanufacturing industry. It was founded to help establish North Carolina as a hub for biomanufacturing. BTEC’s 82,500 ft2 facility opened in July 2007, accommodating students by August. There are facilities ranging from small or bench scale labs to large-scale suites that simulate a biomanufacturing pilot plant capable of producing biological products for the treatment or prevention of human disease. The process equipment onsite, valued at more than $12.5 million, includes an assortment of bioreactors, downstream recovery and purification systems, and analytical instrumentation.
With extensive input from industry professionals, BTEC was able to create curriculum suitable for different levels of education. These interactive and engaging undergraduate courses can lead to a certificate or minor. BTEC also offers two Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degrees: a Master of Biomanufacturing (non-thesis) and Master of Science in Biomanufacturing (thesis option). Program experiences include an industry internship, professional skills, case studies in cGMP manufacturing, as well as a QC analytical course. Nearly 100% of the graduates of BTEC educational programs are employed with 6 months.
BTEC also offers a wide selection of professional development courses. To date, over 1,000 professionals have completed one or more of these short courses. Open-enrollment courses are offered throughout the year and are available to all interested parties. Customized short courses can be created with clients to meet specific training needs. BTEC has trained 88 investigators from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in biomanufacturing since 2007. Since 2011, BTEC has provided training on influenza vaccine manufacturing to 138 vaccine specialists from 13 different companies as part of a contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
When laboratories are not being used for training, BTEC uses them to perform a variety of services for scientists from industry, government, and academia. Projects involve technology development, process improvement/scale-up, analytical testing, and preparation of material for preclinical studies. These services allow scientists to advance their research projects toward commercialization.
Learn more about BTEC by visiting them at booth #3774 at INTERPHEX, March 18th – 20th.