Microbial Biotechnology
Program Overview
MMB History
Established in 2003 to fill a training gap for companies in the biotechnology center
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Industry
Seeking individuals with science backgrounds who can also view problems from a business perspective.
MMB Program
Unique blend of science and business via projects and internships to provide necessary experience for a successful career
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Outcomes
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Offers interdisciplinary academic training, including MBA-level coursework
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Develops professional skills highly valued by industry companies
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Applies scientific methods to solve business problems
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Eases the transition into multiple sectors of the bioscience industry
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Prepares students to work effectively in project teams
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Promotes flexibility and ambiguity management
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Develops comfort with big data management
Graduates of the MMB program at NC State have experienced tremendous success and career satisfaction in the biotech industry.
Academic Track
Upstream Biomanufacturing Graduate Certificate
Upstream Biomanufacturing Laboratory
Introduction to current food manufacturing practice (CGMP) as applied to the growth of microbial cells in bioreactors. Hands-on experience is obtained in the operation and control of 30 liter bioreactors to study agitation, oxygen transfer, cleaning, sterilization, media preparation and the growth of recombinant E. coli for protein production.
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Fermentation of Recombinant Organisms
Conduct small-scale fermentations of recombinant microorganisms as well as having an understanding of ways to approach optimization of such processes. One of the focus areas of this course is on protein production and factors that affect gene expression and recombinant protein yield.
Biomanufacturing and Biocatalyst
Overview of biomanufacturing using microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, fungi), eukaryotic cells (hybridomas, insect, plant, CHO) and recombinant enzymes focusing on methods used in industry. Emphasize process design for optimization of heterologous protein expression, metabolic/cell line engineering, metabolomics, protein engineering to alter enzymes and antibodies. Pathway engineering strategies include developing microbes to produce new therapeutic compounds or overproduce primary metabolites, antibiotics, biotherapeutics, therapeutic enzymes, diagnostics, recombinant vaccines, and biopharmaceuticals. Utilization of immobilized biocatalysts, and microbial kinetics are covered.
Global Regulatory Affairs for Medical Products
Quality systems used to meet the regulatory requirements for developing, testing, manufacturing, and selling medical products in the global marketplace. It provides a general background for those going into the medical products field, but is especially useful to students preparing for a career in the Regulatory Affairs or Quality Assurance Department within a pharmaceutical, biomanufacturing, or medical device company.
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Clinical Development Concentration
The interplay between biotechnology and clinical research and development, specifically pertaining to safety and effectiveness of medications, devices, diagnostic products, and treatment regimens intended for human subjects. Coursework for this track focuses on fundamentals and concepts in:
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New product development
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Legal and regulatory affairs
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Project management
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Principles of clinical research
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Principles of toxicology
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Statistical principles of epidemiology