Biotechnology Laboratory Technician
The biotechnology laboratory technician program is taught in a 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 they will use in industry such as PCR, HPLC, cell culture, Southern and Western Blotting, agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis 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.
Degree Opportunities
AAS Degree: The AAS degree provides students the skills necessary to become a Biotechnology Laboratory Technician as well as 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 of only 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.
Additional Information
To find out more about the program, we recommend you contact Dr. Kainer (daniel.b.kainer@lonestar.edu), the program director, and set up a tour of our lab to see if our program would be a good fit for your career path..
In addition, we suggest you make an appointment with Yamini Datta (yamini.datta@lonestar.edu), an academic advisor who is familiar with the biotechnology program and will help you plan a schedule of courses to help you achieve your goals