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June 15, 2007
New pathways to bio-processing and bio-manufacturing receive funding

(GREENVILLE, SC) A grant sub-award from The National Science Foundation (NSF) brings $234,997 to Greenville Tech for Biotechnology & Biosystems Technology.

Clemson University’s Department of Biosystem Engineering is the lead for a three-year project to create new student pathways from high school agricultural education classes to biotechnology education at the associate degree level to the baccalaureate, creating a trained workforce for South Carolina’s emerging bio-processing and bio-manufacturing industries.

A Clemson-Greenville Tech team will develop course content for inclusion in the agricultural education programs provided to high school students across the Upstate. The project team will also host summer workshops for secondary school teachers focusing on the fields of bio-processing and bio-manufacturing.

In addition, Greenville Tech will create a new certificate program in Biosystems Engineering Technology. This certificate will incorporate courses from the disciplines of biotechnology and electrical engineering technology.

Biosystems engineering is a science-based engineering discipline that integrates engineering science and design with applied biological, environmental and agricultural sciences. Biosystems engineers apply engineering analysis and design to solve problems involving biological organisms and their natural or controlled environments.

Greenville Tech will use grant funds to cover personnel costs, as well as purchase of biotechnology laboratory equipment and supplies.

“The NSF award will allow Greenville Tech to expand our current biotechnology program to include BioSystems Technology, a certificate program that will prepare graduates for technical positions in the bioprocessing and agricultural processing industries,” said Kathy Romero, Greenville Tech Biotechnology Department Head and co-investigator for the project.

“Biosystems is one of the pioneering fields on the horizon of the near future,” said Bill Burns, Greenville Tech instructor and co-investigator for the project. “In keeping with the mission of Greenville Tech, we will be providing the technicians and craftspeople to those industries. I can’t even imagine how this area of study could be developed for our students without the assistance of the vision and funding of the National Science Foundation.”