Biotech Courses at Solano Community College
The Industrial Biotechnology track prepares graduates to work in biotech as production technicians. Production technicians operate and maintain the equipment used to manufacture protein pharmaceutical products. In these hands-on classes that use the same equipment and laboratory processes common in modern biotech workplaces, student grow bacterial, yeast, and mammalian cells and recover the proteins they produce. They also learn how to follow good manufacturing practices by maintaining records and complying with quality assurance procedures and government regulations — all required aspects of the job in any biotech firm.
A student who completes the 22- to 24-unit major with a grade of C (2.0) or better in each course earns a Certificate of Achievement. Upon completion of 60 units, a student can earn the Associate in Science Degree (which includes the major, general education requirements and electives, and grades of C or better or P if the course is taken on a pass/no-pass basis).
What’s required?
Students have to complete a one or more course prerequisite program, and then the four course biotechnology core program. With these courses graduates enter with an Associates degree in Industrial Biotechnology (with the completion of General Education courses.)
Industrial Biotechnology Required Courses
Course |
Units |
Pre-reuisites and Course Advisories |
|---|---|---|
| BIOT 001 Principles of Biotechnology | 3 |
BIO 014, BIO 002, or BIOT 160
SCC minimum math standard and eligibility for ENGL 001 |
| BIOT 052 Business and Regulatory Practices in Biotechnology | 3 |
SCC minimum math standard and eligibility for ENGL 001 |
| BIOT 062 Cell Culture and Protein Recovery | 4 |
BIOSC 014, BIOSC 002 or BIOTCH 160 Eligibility for ENGL 001 |
| BIOT 063 Biotechnology Instrumentation: Quality Control & Genetic Engineering | 4 |
BIO 014, BIO 002, or BIOT 160 |
BIO 014 Principles of Microbiology Or BIO 002 Principles of Cell and Molecular Biology |
4
5 |
|
CHEM 010 Intermediate Chemistry Or CHEM 001 General Chemistry |
4
5 |
|
| Total credits, depending on whether students take BIO 014 or BIO 002, or CHEM 010 or CHEM 001 | 22-24 |
It’s helpful for industrial biotechnology to have some basic prior knowledge and comfort using computers, including word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.