MBB Program
Description of Program
The biomanufacturing and bioprocessing industry is diverse, encompassing the massive production scales of the liquid biofuels industry at one end, to the high quality, highly regulated biopharmaceutical industry at the other. Each market sector has its own needs and drivers, but a common resonating aspect is that to get a product to market, a biological entity must be grown and products harvested from it, in a word it must be “biomanufactured.”
The University of Georgia’s Master of Biomanufacturing and Bioprocessing (MBB) Program trains science and technology graduates for leadership roles in the rapidly expanding and vitally important biomanufacturing field by equipping them with the necessary science, technology and engineering skills combined with proven business and project management training.
The program’s combination of academic and industry led training brings together an exceptional group of scientific, engineering and business faculty with one combined focus − to train a cutting edge biotech workforce. As a result, students in the MBB program gain access to not only state-of-the-art equipment, but practical and virtual training experiences that ensure their readiness for a challenging and rewarding workplace.
During the intense two year program, students will have access to the exceptional and unique biomanufacturing facilities at the University of Georgia where they will work with industry leading equipment and control systems. Potential employers and companies that produce biomanufacturing tools will work alongside faculty to guide, train, set challenges for, and provide internships to students.
Students will emerge with an understanding of the biology, biochemistry, chemical engineering, process control and regulatory aspects that underpin fermentation, cell culture and product purification. More importantly, they will have the ability to apply that knowledge in a competitive global business community to support the growth of environmentally sustainable manufacturing in the United States with beneficial impacts on the economy, environment, healthcare and national security.
Applications for Fall Semester 2020 are currently being accepted.
Domestic Application Deadline: July 1, 2020
International Application Deadline: April 15, 2020
To the UGA Graduate School
A complete online application must be submitted to the UGA Graduate School. Degree Objective is MBB. Major Code is 077. Official transcripts, GRE scores, and three letters of recommendation and (for international students) TOEFL scores must also be sent to the Graduate School. The Institution Code is 5813. Applications are processed by the Graduate School and then forwarded to the appropriate department/institute, which could take several days. Additional information about Graduate School admission requirements can be found on the following pages: Domestic Application Information | International Application Information.
To the MBB program office
A statement of interest including a current resume/CV must also be submitted via the online statement of interest form. The Statement of Purpose that is submitted to the UGA Graduate School during the application process can be the same as the Personal Statement requested on the MBB form, as long as the length and content are within the stated guidelines.
A) Required Courses including a 400 hour internship
• Two (3 credit) Business classes chosen from courses listed in section C
• BCHE6510 Biochemical Engineering
• BCHE6520 Biochemical Separations Process
• BCHE 8210 Fermentation Engineering Lab
• BCMB 6030L Bioprocess Technology
• BCMB 7000 Project-Focused Masters Research
• BIOE6780 Regulations and Ethics in Biomedical Engineering
• PHRM 7100E Biostat App Pharm Biotech Ind
• ENGR 7900 Graduate Internship (3+ hour credit)
B) Three of the following courses (Secondary Required Courses):
Track 1: Synthetic Biology
• BCHE 6655 Metabolic Engineering & Synthetic Biology
• BCHE 6710 Bioelectrochemical Engineering
• BCHE 8220 Advanced Metab Eng Syn Biol
• BCHE 8350 Sustainable Process Engineering
• BCHE 8610 Bioelectroanalytical Techniques
• ENGR 6490 Renewable Energy
• MIBO6600L Experimental Microbiology Lab
• GENE 6520 or GENE8980
Track 2: Biopharmaceuticals and Cell Manufacturing
• BCHE 6650 Animal Cell Biomanufacturing
• BCMB8113/8114 Advanced Genetics, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology I/II
• BCMB8213/8214 Advanced Genetics, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology III/IV
• BIOE 8340 Stem Cell Engineering
• BIOE 8120 Regen Med, Cell Manufacturing & Society
• PHAR 6030 Current Good Manufacturing Practices
C) Two of the following courses Business courses
• ENTR 7090 Critical Design Thinking
• ENTR7310 Innovation Management
• ENTR 7320 Innovative Business Products
• ENTR7500 Introduction to Entrepreneurship
• ENTR 7510 Developing Successful Business Plans
• ENTR7515 Entrepreneurship
• ENTR7525 Managing the Entrpreneurial Venture
• FINA 7010 Financial Management
• MGMT 7220 Project Mangement
• MIST 7600 Data Management Analytics
Upon Completion Of The Core MBB Courses Required Of All Tracks, Students Should Be Able To:
- Identify companies using biomanufacturing and bioprocessing technologies, possible careers in these companies, skills necessary for selected positions, and provide names and contact information for key individuals for selected companies as a basis for their own professional network
- Use bioethical principles in making decisions when confronted with ethical issues involving research, fraud, scientific misconduct, and conflicts of interest
- Apply strategic management theory for business including strategies for the analysis and development of conditions and resources likely to yield competitive advantage combined with the innovation, change, and behavior management necessary to sustain such competitive advantage
- Use traditional and new techniques for planning, scheduling, organizing, implementing, and controlling of single and multiple projects using current project management tools
- Use statistical methods as they relate to data quality assurance, experimental design, clinical trials, power and sample size determination, and variable and model selection
- All students will obtain laboratory hands-on training in fermentation techniques and basic analytical tools used to measure productivity of the process
Synthetic Biology Competencies
Upon completion of Synthetic Biology courses, students in this track will be able to:
- Describe issues and opportunities associated with generating electric power or producing liquid fuels or other products from biomass
- Demonstrate knowledge of applied aspects of biochemistry and molecular biology in various fields with emphasis on the use of recombinant DNA methods and protein engineering
- Prepare media, chemicals, buffers, and other reagents used in fermentation studies
- Generate stock cultures of bacterial and yeast biocatalysts and demonstrate good aseptic techniques during inoculation and preparation of stocks
- Perform fermentations using small-to-mid sized fermentation vessels from set up to break down (shake-flask to 5-Liter scale). Students will have some experience with larger fermentations, actually performing larger scale (20L-800L) fermentations themselves using control systems found in many companies
- Demonstrate competency in experimental design using specially formulated interactive software packages modeling fermentation equipment and downstream processing
- Conduct basic analytical methods used in industrial microbiology and biotechnology including: carbohydrate analysis with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and fermentation products using gas chromatography and HPLC
- Design experiments to test hypotheses, keep an accurate laboratory notebook, compile reports, summarize findings and prepare executive summaries
- Demonstrate knowledge of applied aspects of biochemistry and molecular biology in various fields with emphasis on the use of recombinant DNA methods and protein engineering. Some students will have intensive training in molecular techniques in a laboratory setting.
- Generate stock cultures of bacterial and yeast biocatalysts and demonstrate good aseptic techniques during inoculation and preparation of stocks. Some students will have extensive experience with other types of microorganisms (fungi, viruses, etc.)
- Perform enzyme assays and/or other measurements of protein function
- Conduct basic analytical methods used in industrial microbiology and biotechnology including: carbohydrate analysis with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and fermentation products using gas chromatography and HPLC. Some students will have in-depth experience with protein purification protocols
- Design experiments to test hypotheses, keep an accurate laboratory notebook, compile reports, summarize findings and prepare executive summaries
- Present data to various audiences including upper management, scientific team, outside laypersons, etc.
Biopharmaceutical and Cell Manufacturing Competencies
Upon completion of Biopharmaceutical and Cell Manufacturing Track courses, students in this track will be able to:
- Demonstrate a foundational knowledge of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, emphasizing organization, product development, new product applications and commercialization-associated activities-drug discovery, chemical synthesis, laboratory practices, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and design control
- Perform protocols using mammalian cell culture principles and methods
- Exhibit knowledge of current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations implemented to assure quality and safety of marketed products. Inspection techniques used by the FDA to ensure best practices within a biomanufacturer’s organization, personnel, facilities, equipment, control systems, production, laboratory procedures and records, and clinical testing
- Conduct a research project relevant to the pharmaceutical industry involving Biomanufacturing and/or bioprocessing. The skills developed as a result of the experience will vary depending upon the project.
- Students have the option to also obtain the Regulatory Affairs Certificate after enrolling in the College of Pharmacy Regulatory Affairs program and taking Food and Drug Law where they will examine laws and regulations governing development, manufacturing, and commercial distribution of drugs, biologic and medical device products and how they relate to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industry in a problem-based setting.
Q: What are application deadlines for the UGA MBB program?
A: Applications for Domestic students and International Students for Fall Semester each year should be received by April 15.
Q: If I get a Teaching Assistant position or Research Position is my tuition be lowered?
A: Due to the nature of this Professional Program our students are not eligible for teaching or research assistant positions.
Statement of Interest
Two applications need to be submitted to be accepted into the program. The first application needs to be completed at the UGA graduate school. The second form is below and is the application specific to the UGA MBB Program.