Advances in Biotechnology Workforce Education

Session 790Room 308A

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Advances in Biotechnology Workforce Education• 790-1: Training To Meet Regional Needs: The FSCJ Institute for Food Safety- A

Public/Private Partnership–R. Kevin Pegg and Kathryn Birmingham, Florida State College• 790-2: Funding of Biotechnology Workforce Education by the National Science

Foundation–Linnea Fletcher, NSF• 790-3: Scripps Florida: At the Front Lines of Hope–Harry Orf, Scripps Florida• 790-4: Biotech Skills Development Research Program: An RT-PCR Case Study at the

Community Colleges–James Harber, Oxnard CollegeRecess

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Advances in Biotechnology Workforce Education• 790-5 Factors that Influence The Success of Online Team Projects with Companies–Richard Conroy and Rana Khan, University of Maryland

•790-6 Education and Training for a STEM Career in Biomanufacturing–Sonia Wallman, Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative (NBC2)

•790-7 Educating the Next Generation of Biotechnology Founders and Managers–Yali Friedman, thinkBiotech

•Discussion and Wrap up3

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790-1Institute for Food Safety:

a Florida State College at Jacksonville ATE project

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Mission•Genesis: consortium of local industry leaders in food processing looking to the college for long-term assistance to grow the industry•Establish an academic/industry facility for:–Local testing via a third-party testing laboratory•Residue, Microbial, and Genetic

–Training to increase the availability of skilled technicians•Analytical, Sensory, Microbial, Sampling, and Chain-of-custody

–Liaison with regulatory bodies to standardize protocols–Operations that are transferable•Provide blueprint for reproducing this institute in other cities, states, and nations

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•TransferabilityNever really considered before;Ad hoc labs in academia;Proprietary labs in industry

Novel Aspects

•Protocol development–Many proprietary and sometimes overlapping protocols•Often have missing elements–Example: COC’s defined, but no sampling requirements stipulated for residue

–Some guidelines not readily applicable–Competing special interests•testing NIMBY or I-will-if-you-will

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Models I

•Rapid Aflatoxin testing as a model–Partnership between EDI (testing company), RTI (research academia), Cargill (sponsor company), AOAC (non-profit) and USDA•Wildly successful

•Rapid sulfa drug testing as a model–Partnership between EDI (testing company), RTI (research academia), Hog farmers association (sponsor company), AOAC (non-profit) and USDA•Wildly successful; predicted E. coli and Salmonella outbreaks–Failed to capitalize on anticipated market and was not ready with tests when outbreaks occurred

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Drivers

•Market forces building for regulatory system overhaul–Widespread interest in European codex–Pending legislation in Congress•S. 2934:–A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to ensure the safety of imported seafood

•H.R. 2749:Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009•S. 384: Global Food Security Act of 2009•H.R. 2513:Food Protection Training Institute Act of 2009•H.R. 2800:Imported Food Safety Improvement Act of 2009

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More Pending Seafood Bills

•Seafood bills• S. 510: FDA Food Safety Modernization Act• S. 2752: Gulf Oyster Industry Jobs Protection Act• S. 2735: Gulf Oyster Protection Act of 2009• H.R. 4022: Gulf Oyster Protection Act of 2009• H.R. 1370: Commercial Seafood Consumer Protection Act• H.R. 759: Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act• S. 92: Imported Seafood Safety Enhancement Act of 2009

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Even more pending legislation:Regional Food Safety Centers Legislation

•S. 1269 and related House bill:–Food Safety Rapid Response Act–Food Protection Training Institute Act of 2009

•Bills to provide for enhanced food borne illness surveillance and food safety testing capacity, to establish regional food safety centers of excellence, and for other purposes.

•IFS needs to be a player if it is to fulfill mission

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Transferability

•Difficult to accomplish as a state college (or any other institution alone)•However, opportunity for National Science Foundation Center at Florida State College –Creates opportunity for national impact–Can lead to labs and training center as part of FDA’s coming national centers

•Becoming an NSF center will mean stand-alone facility with state-of-the-art equipment that can perform any test, not just those from last years menu... 11

IFS Evolution•10,000 Square foot mezzanine area collocated with Preferred Freezers facility in Jacksonville–Modeling showed it was too small, cramped even before it was built

•20,000 sq. ft. facility at second freezer location–Difficult to build and commence operations–Casualty of slowing economy and pressures on partners

•Two phases:–Transitional lab in 7,000 sq. ft. of space in the Florida State College Advanced Technology Center–16,000 Sq. ft lab expandable complex on campus

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Interim IFS Facility:Targeted for July of 2010

•3,000 sq. ft. fee-for-service operated by Eurofins, a major international testing company headquartered in Belgium with labs in the U.S.–Initial operations focused on proprietary microbial identification methodology using molecular (BAX rt-PCR) confirmation–Local and regional samples

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Interim IFS Facility:Targeted for July of 2010

•3,000 sq. ft educational facility located adjacent to Eurofins•Shared, mirrored, and specialized equipment•Summer 2010 ATE program based on microbial and counterfeiting–1:2:3 cohort model• 5 faculty mentors, 10 High school teachers, 15 students in five groups•3 weeks of training, 3 weeks of group research projects•Mentor relationships throughout academic year

•Summer 2011 ATEprogram based on HPLC-MS residue testing14

Funding model/sustainability

•College–Tuition–Grants

•Private–Capital campaign

•Equity–Equipment•Facilities

•Fee-for services15

Advisory Board Evolution•First Board meetings–Presentations–Feedback–No major role

•Shifting role–Advisors weighing in on site plans, business model

•Active participation–Frequently have members of the advisory board at organizational meetings–Have become stakeholders in the success of the program

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Lessons Learned•Choose Advisory Board Members carefully and re-shuffle the deck as the program develops•Treat Advisory Board members as if they are $1,000 a day consultants -- don't waste their time•Give Advisory Board Members access to student perspectives -- your students can help sell them on program attributes•Ask for what you need for your students -- monetary donations, equipment donations, paid internships, curriculum advice, testimonials for marketing your program, and access to other experts•Don't confuse them with the bureaucratic battles you are fighting behind the scenes

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For their Generous Support Florida State College acknowledges:

•Beaverstreet Fisheries, Inc.•Eurofins International•Preferred Freezers•The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education (award number: DUE 0053250)•And our advisors at:–UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Florida Department of Agriculture, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, the National Fisheries Institute, and Shaw’s Southern Belle Seafood

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