Eighteen ninth-graders attending a four-day Biotechnology Basics Camp at Randolph Community College next week will be treated to a visit from the BioNetwork Mobile Lab. The BioNetwork Mobile Laboratory - called the BioNetworkBus - is the nation's only mobile laboratory designed to offer biotechnology-related incumbent and potential new-hire worker training. The mobile lab will be visiting the RCC Campus June 24 and 25, and RCC staff, students, and the public are invited to tour the bus on Tuesday afternoon, June 24 from 12:15-1:15 p.m. and 2:30-5 p.m., or for a short time on Wednesday, June 25, from 12:15-1:30 p.m. It will be located in the Health & Science Center parking lot on the northeast end of campus.
The Mobile Laboratory is a component of the BioNetwork Capstone Center, which is based at the Biomanufacturing Training & Education Center on N.C. State University's Centennial Campus. The BioNetwork Mobile Laboratory offers accelerated laboratory-based biotechnology training to community college students in remote areas across the state and takes specialized equipment and experienced faculty straight to company sites for incumbent worker training. Training in the lab, which can accommodate up to eight people, is provided by Scott Hallam, who has 17 years of industry experience.
Students attending the Biotech Camp are rising ninth-graders from Randolph Early College High School. This is the second year for the event, which is designed to introduce students to biotechnology as a career choice. The Camp will be held from 9 a.m. – noon, June 23 - 26.
Donna Perry, biology instructor and coordinator of math, science, health and physical education for RCC, said activities will include an introduction to DNA and proteins, environmental monitoring, isolating green fluorescent protein from jellyfish and DNA from a banana, and plant tissue cultures from Venus's-flytrap plants.
RCC offers an associate in applied science degree in Biotechnology in collaboration with Alamance Community College. The program is designed to prepare graduates to serve in three distinct capacities: research assistant to a biologist or a chemist; laboratory technician/instrumentation technician, and quality control/quality assurance technician. All first-year classes may be taken at RCC, then students transfer to ACC for all second-year courses and completion of the program.
For more information or to apply for entry into the Biotechnology program, contact RCC's Information Center at 336-633-0200.
