Biotechnology Skills

Be able to use analytical chemistry to identify the presence of and the measure the concentration of specific items.

Use a data set to understand and draw conclusions about a sample. The analysis may include graphing, statistics, and presenting work in tables.

Maintain records, draw blood, monitor health, maintain a healthy environment with clean cages. An animal care specialist needs to be observant and notice if animals seem sick or behave in an unusual fashion.

Be able to purify and properly store antibodies and perform a variety of techniques where antibodies are used.

Work with biological or sterile materials without contamination.

Be able to use a variety of assays for measurement, record, analyze, and plot the resulting data. Understand how to prepare and use a standard curve.

Safely operate an autoclave to sterilize glassware, media, or waste.

Be able to demonstrate knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing of biotechnology products, aseptic processing, cell culture products

Understand buffers and know why they are used.

Monitor production runs, complete cell culture maintenance tasks (passaging, seeing, harvesting, concentrating).

cGMP stands for current Good Manufacturing Practices. GMPs apply to industries that produce pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages. The FDA publishes guidances to help companies understand how they view the regulations related to drug manufacturing. Since FDA's thinking evolves, it is important to ...

Understand how mixtures are separated through chromatographic techniques such as thin layer and gas chromatography

Demonstrate proper gowning and cleanroom behavior.

Understand and comply with the procedures and systems needed to comply with company standards.

Use Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Word or another writing program would be used to prepare technical documents and write reports. Excel is used to create spreadsheets, tables, and graphs, and for data analysis. PowerPoint is used to present results. Database skills ...

Know how to collect information, analyze information, identify and investigate product and quality problems, and take appropriate and effective corrective and/or preventive action to prevent their recurrence.

Provide immediate and proactive support to customers.

Enter data promptly and accurately

Ensure that manufacturing data is maintained, reviewed, analyzed, assessed, ensuring accuracy and compliance

Perform database searches to locate test methods and specifications

To be detail oriented means to be able to pay attention and focus on small parts of a project.

Extract genomic and / or plasmid DNA

Promptly and accurately enter information, calculate, and report results.

Use an electronic laboratory notebook for recording and reporting results.

Be able to repair small electronics. Understand current, voltage, and power.

Perform Enzyme Linked Immunoassays (ELISAs) and use software to plot and analyze the data.

Know what to do when there is an emergency. This would include CPR and basic first aid.

Understand and comply with environmental health and safety rules to prevent injuries, protect the environment, and prevent pollution.

Know how to evaluate the quality of air, surfaces, and personnel through testing and sample analysis

Use bulk dispensing to fill vials with sterile drug product.

Prepare and stain cells for flow cytometry analysis, operate a flow cytometer, troubleshoot problems, collect and analyze flow cytometry data.

Prepare samples and use a gas chromatograph to identify materials.

Undersand how to use GC-MS and analyze the results

Use agarose or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to seperate DNA or proteins.

Follow Good Clinical Practices in working with patients and protecting human subjects.

Companies that conduct pre-clinical research must comply with Good Laboratory Practices. In a company, GLPs are part of a quality system that covers the process and conditions under which non-clinical laboratory studies are planned, performed, monitored, recorded, reported, and archived.

Companies that manufacture substances regulated by the FDA must adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). Good Documentation Practices (GDP) are important in recording and managing data related to test results.

Know how to assess food safety by the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.

Understand how to find MSDS information and instructions for handling and disposing of hazardous materials

Use an HPLC to separate, purify, and analyze materials.

The International Council on Harmonization Good Clinical Practice guidelines (ICH-GCP) cover quailty, efficacy, safety, and cross-cutting topics. The International Council on Harmonization (ICH) is a non-profit group that works to ensure that safe, effective, and high quality medicines are developed ...

Perform in-process sampling and testing during production using analytical laboratory instruments.

Review, document, maintain, and order laboratory supplies. Record information.

Be able to operate a variety of laboratory equipment including autoclaves, warm rooms, water baths, shakers, and centrifuges.

Be able to wash, sterilize, and store laboratory glassware

Understand the purpose of a LIMS and be able to use one.

Know how to find MSDS information and follow proper laboratory safety protocols

Be able to perform a variety of laboratory activites including measurement, calculations, preparing materials, and operating laboratory instruments and equipment. Understand how precipitation, dialysis, and centrifugation are used separate materials.

Be able to perform a variety of laboratory techniques such as material preparation, gel electrophoresis, protein purification, and culturing microorganisms.

Enter data, maintain, and organize instrument calibration and maintenance logbooks.

Work in a biosafety hood, use aseptic technique, start cultures (seeding), count cells, maintain cells, split (passaging), use cryopreservation to store cells.

Understand the steps involved in manufacturing and delivering a product that meets the required specifications.

Uses a mass spectrometer to obtain data

Perform mathematical calculations, including addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, ratios, and percentages. Must be able to use proportions, understand orders of magnitude, convert units, and use dimensional analysis.

Prepare and sterilize media for a variety of organisms

Know how to culture, identify, and enumerate microbes. Microbiologists must be able to isolate and obtain pure cultures of bacteria and other microbes. They must also be able to identify sources of microbial contamination and know how to use sterilization and filtration to control microbial growth.

Use an inverted, standard, and fluorescent microscope for examining and counting cells.

Understand molecular biology techniques, when and why they are used and what they measure.

Pay attention to detail and notice changes in materials.

Be able to use a fork lift to safely move materials from one place to another.

Able to convey information accurately orally

To be organized means that you are able to manage your time, energy, and workspace so that you can accomplish your work. You are able to plan and prioritize tasks and keep track of work that needs to be done.

Identify when materials do not meet specified criteria and perform out of specification testing as needed.

Be able to set up reactions and use PCR (polymerase chain reaction) for a variety of applications.

Demonstrate proper gowning technique and use of personal protective equipment.

Adjust and measure pH, demonstrate proper use and calibration of pH meters

Use a variety of pipettes and micropipettors to transfer correct volumes of liquids

Plant care involves propagating, feeding, watering, and potting plants. Plant care also involves observing plants and noticing changes that might indicate disease or poor health.

Project managers identify components of a project, develop timelines, and work with a team to assign tasks and follow up on progress.

Understand project timelines, start-up and changeover schedules

Understand how chromatography is used' for purifying proteins, including gel filtration, ion exchange, and affinity chromatography

Able to present work and results in public and make points clearly.

Understand quality systems and documentation

Be able to comply with a set of procedures that ensure that a product meets defined criteria.

Understand the meaning of a quality system and how a company's practices are used to maintain quality.

Follow SOPs to prepare reagents

Demonstrate knowledge of regulatory agencies governing the manufacture and distribution of biotechnology-derived products

Know how to find information, design, set up, carry out and analyze experimental data.

Carry out laboratory work and field work without endangering yourself or others.

Be able to follow standard operating procedures for preparing samples.

Understand rules for shipping and recieving materials, temperature requirements, and when materials should be quarantined.

Prepare solutions that contain one or more ingredients and a variety of concentrations (M, N, weight %, weight/volume). This involves using dry ingredients and /or stock solutions and includes adjusting the pH.

Use M1V1 = M2V2 or C1V1 = C2V2 to calculate a concentration or determine the amount of a liquid to use in making a solution.

Use Microsoft Excel to create tables, graph data, and carry out calculations

Follow SOPs and adhere to quality guidelines.

Be able to use descriptive statistics to characterize a data set.

Work effectively with team members to coordinate tasks and meet objectives

Know how to write, revise, and collaborate on technical documents such as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and analytical methods.

Accurately estimate the amount of time needed to perform one or more tasks and organize time effectively.

Be able to use amounts of reagents to measure a concentration

Analyze a problem and identify the correct solution

The FDA protects public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of the U.Ss food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. They also regulate tobacco. Many biotechnology ...

Use ultra filtration during biopharmaceutical manufacturing to separate particulate matter from soluble materials.

Use UV / Vis spectrophotometers to measure the concentration of materials and use the Beer Lambert Law

Know how to perform IQ, OQ, PQ (Installation Qualification, Operational Qualification, Performance Qualification). These are three activities that must be performed on equipment and machines as part of the validataion of manufacturing processes.

Use an analytical balance or scale to determine the weight of a sample.

Use polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, blotting apparatus, and reagents to perform a western blot

Able to convey information accurately through writing