SCF’s Biotech Labs - Launching Discoveries

Launching Discoveries and Developing Scientists in SCF’s Biotech Labs

SCF Natural Science Professors Dr. Eric Warrick and Dr. Matthew Thomas collaborated with their students in the labs to research soils in search of microbes that could be developed into the next generation of antibiotics. While leading students in research, the team also is encouraging them, with great success, to go into careers that will help solve such global problems. “We are providing the students with opportunities to see science in the labs and to get real-life exposure to concerns in the medical community,” Warrick said. He is confident biotechnology students can work in a variety of settings, from hospital labs and research facilities to breweries, when they graduate. Thomas, biotechnology program manager, is key to developing relationships with the program’s corporate partners. Every year, the Biotechnology Program has 10 to 15 corporate partners who serve on an advisory board to help ensure the curriculum stays up to date and to keep them informed about what local employers are looking for. “Things change; the pace is incredibly fast in biotech,” Thomas said. “We have to stay on top of those changes and needs.” Companies from around the area will bring the biotech students projects that they can work on and offer them an opportunity to find solutions to problems in their industry. The Biotechnology Program also has joined global initiatives designed to give students exposure to vital health research. The program is part of the Tiny Earth Initiative with hundreds of other universities and colleges in the search for the next generation of antibiotics. It is also a partner with Tufts University on its project assessing the Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistance in the Environment (PARE). Solving the problem of antibiotic resistance and finding the next generation of medicines are pressing issues that are vital to human health. SCF and State College of Florida Collegiate School (SCFCS) students have been researching soil around the Tampa Bay and Manatee-Sarasota region to determine whether there is antibiotic resistance in area soil. Their findings over the past three years have been included on a map of the United States available through the Tufts site on the PARE project. The discovery of the antibiotic resistant materials may help identify through further research why soils in this area have developed antibiotic resistance and whether humans can modify certain behaviors to avoid further development. The experiments drive the students, Warrick said. When the students make new discoveries, they get excited about what they are doing. “It’s positive to see students excited and engaged,” he said. “That translates to them doing well in classes.” Those experiments develop the skills businesses need. “These classes train you to do something,” Thomas said. “They give the students the confidence of being able to do a technique independent of an instructor or a supervisor. It gives them a set of skills that allows them to engage in more advanced pursuits.” Businesses have noticed that SCF biotechnology graduates save them time and money on training. They are generally ready to go to work, they quickly start producing revenue for the companies, and they make fewer errors in their work. “We make sure they are well-prepared for the workforce,” Warrick said. “Their hands are far better because we have the projects for them to work on. Their exposure in the labs is giving them the techniques they need. Our corporate partners know SCF students can do the math and have the hands to do the science.”

Through their work with SCFCS, Thomas and Warrick are also preparing the next generation of students for careers in medicine, research or other Science, Technology, Math and Engineering (STEM) careers. Working with the students early helps them see that they have abilities in science and math.