The full story
LSC invested $500,000 to buy new equipment for the institute’s associate of applied science degree program, according to the news release. The new equipment will help students train for jobs in biotechnology and biopharmaceutical manufacturing fields, which are expected to have 10,000 open jobs in the next 10 years.
“The LSC-Montgomery Biotechnology Institute and AAS program will help meet these growing needs by training students to be competent laboratory technicians in the life science and chemical technology industries,” said Mischelle Hopper, LSC-Montgomery dean of Natural Sciences and Health, via the release.
LSC’s Biotechnology program will also be expanded this fall with a new degree plan, which will include “campus-based capstone experience with hands-on research and manufacturing projects,” according to the release.
Quote of note
“Biopharmaceutical manufacturing is experiencing tremendous growth in recent years because of the advances in gene and cellular therapies, and numerous innovations in therapeutic protein and mRNA vaccine development,” said Daniel Kainer, director of the biotechnology institute, via the release. “The new equipment will help to ensure the future workforce will have the technical knowledge and expertise to help create cures, treatments and other solutions that will benefit the public for years to come.”
The background
LSC-Montgomery is the only LSC campus to offer the full biotechnology AAS degree while some courses are offered through LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Tomball and LSC-Online, according to the release. LSC-Montgomery’s Biotechnology Institute was founded in 2001.
