The NBC2: Growing a Regional and National Bioeconomy, One Locale at a Time

生物制造业是少数几个在国内和全球经济低迷的情况下仍继续扩张的制造业之一。在这个新的、先进的技术、STEM丰富的行业中，生物制药和生物燃料是在细胞工厂生产的生物产品之一。该项目继续中心的活动，以便继续鼓励在全国范围内创建更多的生物制造项目，以支持不断增长的生物制药、生物燃料、再生医学和生物制品行业，即生物经济。此外，它还扩展了NBC2课程材料，增加了更多的生物燃料和新的干细胞动手实验室，与世界上最大的合同制生物制造师合作，建立了虚拟工业生物制造生产模块，并推出了在线讲座系列，用于在生物制造课程中伴随动手实验室。该项目还在试验NBC2课程模块的灵活包装，以便为不同的受众(高中、社区学院、大学、学生毕业生和在职工人)和时间框架定制课程。它正在为许多模块建立一个“盒子里的课程”，以便提供教授每个模块所需的材料和用品。通过扩大就业网站www.bibianufacturingareers.org，加强了公众对生物制造职业道路的了解。NBC2正在努力提供全国制造业协会认可的生物制造技术员认证。该项目使用基于网络的数据分析来记录和宣传学生的职业道路细节，该数据分析跟踪学生并显示行业趋势。该中心预计将在NSF获得资金后申请非营利性身份以维持该中心的发展。该项目的学术价值包括：1)生成一整套课程产品，使用不同的教学方法教授生物制药、生物燃料和其他交叉生物制造领域，包括动手实验室、教科书、在线讲座和在线辅助支持。此外，该项目正在开发虚拟生物制造设备和流程，以教授、评估和练习故障排除；2)这些产品以许多不同的形式提供，包括传统印刷或在线产品，供不同群体的学生使用；3)包括高中、社区大学、生物制造经验和生物制造职业的职业道路；以及4)使用基于网络的数据分析工具来跟踪学生的职业道路和显示行业趋势。该提案的更广泛影响包括：1)创建一个由自给自足的当地生物制造教育和培训基础设施以及劳动力组成的国家网络，以支持不断增长的生物经济；2)生物制造教育和培训课程和计划的制度化；3)继续开发新的教学材料，以发展和增强现有的产品；4)全国制造商协会认可的生物制造认证考试；5)收集关于生物制造职业道路和生物经济的数据；以及6)成立一个销售产品和服务的非营利性实体，这些实体将及时支持NBC2的职能，包括成长合作伙伴、指导计划、促进生物制造职业道路、更新课程设置，以及为学生、教师、教师和技术人员提供职业发展机会。

Biomanufacturing is one of the few manufacturing industries that continues to expand in spite of downturns in the national and global economy. Biopharmaceuticals and biofuels are among the bioproducts manufactured in cellular factories in this new, advanced technology, STEM-rich industry. This project continues the center activities in order to continue to encourage the creation of additional biomanufacturing programs throughout the nation to support a growing biopharmaceutical, biofuels, regenerative medicine, and bioproducts industry, that is, the bioeconomy. In addition, it expands the NBC2 curricular materials, adding additional biofuels and new stem cell hands-on laboratories, virtual industrial biomanufacturing production modules in partnership with the world's largest contract biomanufacturer, and an online lecture series to be used to accompany hands-on laboratories in biomanufacturing courses. The project also is experimenting with flexible packaging of NBC2 curricular modules to allow customization of courses for various audiences (high school, community college, university, student graduates and incumbent workers) and time frames. It is building a "Course in a Box" for many modules in order to provide access to the materials and supplies needed to teach each module. Public understanding of biomanufacturing career paths is enhanced through the expansion of a career website at www.biomanufacturingcareers.org. The NBC2 is working to offer a National Association of Manufacturing-endorsed biomanufacturing technician certification. The project is documenting and publicizing details about career paths of students using web-based data analysis that tracks students and shows trends in industry. The Center expects to apply for non-profit status to sustain the center after NSF ATE funding. The intellectual merit of the project includes: 1) generation of a complete suite of curriculum products using different pedagogical approaches to teach biopharmaceutical, biofuels and other crossover biomanufacturing fields, including hands-on laboratories, textbooks, online lectures with online ancillary support. In addition, the project is developing virtual biomanufacturing equipment and processes to teach, assess and practice troubleshooting; 2) availability of these products in many different formats, including traditional print or online for use by diverse populations of students; 3) a career path that includes high school, community college, biomanufacturing experience, and a career in biomanufacturing; and 4) use of a web-based data analysis tools to track student career paths and show trends in industry. The broader impacts of the proposal include: 1) creation of a national network of self-sustaining local infrastructures for biomanufacturing education and training, and the workforce to support a growing bioeconomy; 2) institutionalization of biomanufacturing education and training courses and programs; 3) continued development of new instructional materials to grow and enhance current offerings; 4) a biomanufacturing certification exam endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers; 5) data collected on biomanufacturing career paths and the bioeconomy; and 6) formation of a non-profit entity to sell products and services which in time will support NBC2 functions of growing partners, mentoring programs, promoting biomanufacturing career paths, updating curricular offerings, and providing professional development opportunities for students, faculty, teachers and technicians.