The biotechnology laboratory technician program is taught in a special lab designed for and dedicated to hands-on experiences. We have a general lab area, a separate cell culture room,, a preparation room and a chemical storage room. Students are taught techniques that they will use in industry such as PCR,  HPLC, cell culture, Southern and Western Blotting, agarose and polyacrylamide gel rlectrophoresis and recombinant DNA technology.  The skills learned are applicable to other laboratory technician positions such as those required in the chemical and gas/oil fields.

AAS Degree: The AAS degree provides students the skills necessary to become a biotechnology laboratory technician as well as the core courses for transfer to a university such as UH-D or UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center School of Health Professions.

How Do I Apply? There is no formal application process necessary. All students who meet the college entrance requirements are eligible to begin the program. The first course in the program, BIOL 1414 (Introduction to Biotechnology) is a great overview of the field of biotechnology and includes hands-on practice of many important, basic lab techniques. The courses necessary for an AAS degree can be found in the college catalog, http://www.lonestar.edu/biotechnology-aas.htm

ATC Degree: The ATC degree program provides students the skills necessary to become biotechnology laboratory technicians and is composed soley of biotechnology courses.

How Do I Apply: To enter the program, students need to meet with the department chairman, Dr. Daniel Kainer (936-273-7060), to evaluate their past experiences and degrees. To be accepted, students must have a prior degree and completed  the prerequisite courses in biology (2 semesters), chemistry (2 semesters) and  microbiology. The courses necessary for an ATC can be found in the college catalog, http://www.lonestar.edu/biotechnology-certificate.htm.

Information Sessions: To find out more about the program, we recommend that you attend one of our information sessions. The fall semester sessions will be provided via webex. Please contact Dr. Kainer (dkainer@lonestar.edu), the program director, for a link to the sessions. 

Wednesday, October 7, 2020 from 1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Tuesday, November 3, 2020 from 9:30AM-10:30AM

Current Projects: The biotechnology program is constantly evolving and changing as the needs of the workforce change. Currently, students and faculty are working on several projects in the areas of  algae, aquaponics and bioinformatics. Our newest project involved partnering with NASA to look at how strains of algae survive in the harsh conditions of microgravity found on board the International Space Station. Please look at our current projects page for updates.