Skip to Content

Biotechnology Blog

We started this option to offer successful students a credential that will make them attractive candidates for a wide range of technical positions in industry and biomedical research. Expect to have program application and checklist forms and updates on internship and job opportunities!
Keep tuned for weekly blogs, in which current candidate students share experiences in research (internship) and courses taken.
- Avelina Espinosa, Associate Professor Biology, Coordinator of the Certificate in Biotechnology

Senior Student: Andrew Mitchell

December 10th, 2012 by aespinosa

New Student bloggers Fall 2012: Aubrey Ayote

December 10th, 2012 by aespinosa

 

My name is Aubrey Ayotte and I'm a junior with the purpose of graduating with a B.Sc in Chemistry, a double major in Biology, a Psychology Minor and a Certificate Biotechnology! I'm looking forward to working towards a Biotech certificate because I'm fascinated with the concurrent growth of technology and Biology in recent years and the many opportunities that having the certification in Biotechnology can present. Biotechnological experience through the program and internship can help make me more competitive for my ideal future career in pharmaceuticals or biomedical research. I'm excited for the experience and can't wait to get started!

Lauren Salerno, RWU 2012 graduate, Amgen researcher

December 10th, 2012 by aespinosa

The end of the semester—and the end of senior year—really wound down quickly. The biotechnology practical went smoothly, though the rest is somewhat of a blur: thesis presentations, finals, graduation, moving from New Jersey to Massachusetts, and starting a new job at a biotechnology company within two weeks of leaving Roger Williams. For the past two months, I’ve been working in a cell sciences lab in process development, where we run experiments with small-scale bioreactors. Our experiments are meant to mirror the manufacturing process for therapeutic molecules that are produced by genetically engineered mammalian cells. The upper and lower limits of production parameters, such as pH and temperature, are tested in small 1- to 2-L bioreactors (as opposed to much larger reactors found in manufacturing) to determine best and worst case scenarios. It’s pretty complicated, and there’s plenty that I still don’t understand!

Certificate in Biotechnology Forms

April 4th, 2012 by aespinosa

You can graduate with a Certificate in Biotechnology if you fulfill the requirements and you are a current Biology, Marine Biology, Environmental Science or Chemistry Major at RWU. Check in Certificate in Biotechnology for the requirements and application forms! You can download the Application Form and submit it to aespinosa@rwu.edu

 

Lauren recount of the ACS meeting April 4, 2012

April 4th, 2012 by aespinosa

243rd American Chemical Society Meeting This past weekend I was lucky to present our research at the national ACS Meeting in San Diego!  A group of 12 RWU Biology/Chemistry students went with me. I have worked in this project at the Espinosa lab in collaboration with an RWU graduate and fellow Certificate in Biotechnology awardee, Monichan Phay.

Mark

March 5th, 2012 by biotechnology

My name is Mark and I am in the Biology major and in two minors, chemistry and history. I am currently performing analytical research in which the technique of neutron activation analysis is used to analyze the ratio of the elements Sr and Ca found within fish otolith bones. This ratio can then be used to pinpoint the fish’s point of origin allowing for a better understanding of fish population dynamics. My previous research project was more biotechnology oriented and concerned the sequencing of the ADHE gene of the amoebic parasite Entamoeba invadens.

Delia

February 29th, 2012 by biotechnology

I began the Certificate in Biotechnology program my junior year here at Roger Williams University, initially because I thought the certificate would be useful. It was a brand new program and our class was the first group of students to start the mandatory 38-credit program. Sixteen out of the required thirty-eight credits were also required for Biology majors in general, due to classes such as BIO 102: Biology I, BIO 200: Genetics, CHEM 191: Chemistry I, and CHEM 192: Chemistry II so it was a perfect fit into my schedule to finish the remaining classes.