In Semester 1, students learn the fundamentals of laboratory safety, accurately and precisely measuring and transferring mass and volume, and collecting and analyzing large data sets. The experimental procedures then transition to a clean DNA extraction with subsequent experiments used to prepare DNA samples for library prep, sequencing on a MiSeq platform, and analyzing results within the Galaxy bioinformatics pipeline.
During Semester 2, students experience the hands-on training required to work in a biomanufacturing laboratory. The workflow includes culture and strain engineering, analysis of growth parameters in fermenters and bioreactors, and purification and packaging of the final product. As is the case with Semester 1, emphasis is on repetition of experiments, weekly workflows that build on one another, and career skills training for success in the professional workplace. As experiments grow increasingly more complex, students will be expected to efficiently plan their time, think creatively, and troubleshoot when experiments fail.
In addition to technical bench skills, the Academy prepares students for professional work environments by focusing on career skills. Students hone skills including communication, teamwork, laboratory etiquette, time management, organization, financial planning, resume and cover letter writing, and interviewing. The Academy invites professionals from the community such as scientists, human resources representatives, finance experts, and life coaches to coach students. The comprehensive nature of the career skills curriculum is unique to the Academy program, and when coupled with technical lab training, creates mature, competent individuals who are ready to compete for jobs.
During this past academic year, when COVID-19 cautions forced many programs into distance learning, the normal Gloucester Biotechnology Academy precautionary protocols of working in a “clean” lab enabled in-person learning – with no infections or related interruptions.
With the Academy now in its fifth year, there is evidence in critical mass that the innovative program is generating a profound impact in young lives and in the Massachusetts life sciences ecosystem.
Seventy-eight percent of students who enroll in Gloucester Biotechnology Academy graduate — and 90 percent of those graduates go on to work in biotech with base salaries ranging from $35K to $55K (debt-free) or enroll in higher ed to study science, often with employer sponsorship.
In 2016, recent Gloucester High School graduate Kyle Richard was working at a modest minimum wage job in a Gloucester donut shop. Three years and two promotions later, Kyle is working as a Lead Clinical Lab Assistant in the Molecular Biology Core Facilities at Dana Farber.
Emily Ryan left a nursing program at a local college for financial reasons in 2019 and enrolled in the Academy shortly afterward. Today she is working at Sherlock Biosciences to develop COVID testing solutions.
“Sherlock Biosciences is very fortunate to have a dedicated team working to address COVID-19, and we count both Emily Ryan and Gloucester Biotechnology Academy as important partners in this effort,” Sherlock Chief Executive Officer Rahul Dhanda said. “Our entire team is committed to making a difference at all times and having Emily as part of our team has increased the pace of the impact we will have.”
John Doyle, PhD, is the Education Director at Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, and has helped shape the Gloucester Biotechnology Academy program from its inception. John is an experienced educator with years of classroom instruction at public high schools, Framingham State University and the University of Connecticut.
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