Biotechnology College Programs Prepare You For Many Sectors of the Field
Biotechnology Technicians (also known as bench technicians) have the
distinct job of assuring quality control in areas of manufacturing such
as food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. These areas in which humans
consume or use products are very important and require the utmost
attention. Therefore, biotechnology technicians must attend a
biotechnology college program before entering the field.
If the
field sounds like one in which you may have interest, Centennial College
in Toronto, Ont. offers a two year Biotechnology Technician –
Industrial Microbiology program. Students are provided with thorough
practical training in industrial microbiology as well as chemistry
(analytical and organic) and biochemistry. As with all Centennial
College programs, there are prerequisites to attending. First, students
must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or
equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Also required is completion
of compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent and
Math 11M or U or 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent. Students
are placed in appropriate English level based on skills assessment
results. Lastly, students who test at an advanced level may be
accelerated directly into MATH-176 in semester 1 and MATH-186 in
semester 2. Those taking MATH-140 will have the opportunity to complete
MATH-186 between semesters 2 and 3.
The first thing to note about
this biotechnology college program is that it is nationally accredited
by the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists, which has
deemed it as having met the national technology accreditation
requirements. In addition, the Ontario Association of Certified
Engineering Technicians and Technologists recognizes the Biotechnology
Technician - Industrial Microbiology program as meeting all the academic
requirements for certification in the Technician Category. These
national accreditations support program quality and provide mobility for
graduates.
Within the program, students obtain practical
training from professionals with experience in the field. These faculty
members are able to bring a special perspective to teaching the
biotechnology technician courses, which include: Intro to Biological
Systems (students study various levels of complexity in living organisms
from the molecular level to the whole organism and the relationship to
physical and chemical science); Microbiology (students are introduced to
the basic principles of microbiology); Inorganic Chemistry for
Microbiology (emphasis is placed on inorganic reactions and phenomenon
present in microbiological systems); and much more. In addition, woven
into these courses are lessons on appropriate safety procedures,
biotechnology technician projects, and independently designed
microbiology tasks that enhance problem solving and research skills.
Upon
graduation from the Biotechnology College program, bench
technicians have a number of responsibilities. First and foremost, they
isolate, enumerate and identify microorganisms from many types of
samples (water, soil, air, your body, and food, pharmaceutical and
cosmetic products). This is a key component of the job, as is preparing
specimens for staining and using a light-microscope. In addition,
biotechnology technicians handle materials and instruments such as pH
and BOD meters, Gas Chromatographs, spectrophotometers (regular/IR/UV),
HPLC’s etc. Lastly, they prepare microbiological media and reagents;
culture pathogenic microbes; and design and perform their own
microbiology experiments.
