Building Southeastern Pennsylvania's Advanced Technical Workforce in Gene and Cell Therapy

宾夕法尼亚州东南部开发和生产基因疗法和细胞疗法的公司数量有所增加。 因此，这些领域，特别是商业制造领域，存在对高技能技术人员的区域需求。该项目旨在通过增加进入这一先进治疗领域的当地社区大学毕业生的数量来满足这一需求。蒙哥马利县社区学院 (MCCC) 是东北生物制造中心和合作机构的牵头机构。 它在开发和传播生物制药生物加工技术人员教育课程方面拥有广泛的记录。在该项目中，MCCC 将与当地行业合作伙伴合作，确定先进治疗技术人员所需的技能和能力，开发细胞和基因治疗制造课程，并促进当地两年制大学采用该课程。新课程将为学生提供开发、制造和测试这些先进疗法的技能和知识的坚实基础，以及行业相关生物加工设备的实践经验。该项目将评估两年制机构当地生物技术项目的能力、技能和课程需求，为加强或建设需要的新课程提供指导，为教育工作者提供与新课程相关的专业发展，并将他们与当地行业联系起来。随着该项目建立了一条从高中到社区大学再到高级治疗劳动力的管道，来自生物制造领域代表性不足的社区的学生，包括有色人种学生和/或第一代大学生，将有更多机会获得成功的生物加工职业。项目目标包括：(1) 通过开发和传播当地行业认可的高级治疗课程来改善学生教育和培训； (2) 通过指导、行业参与和专业发展，促进和促进当地社区学院采用新课程； (3) 提高高中生对生物医学/生物加工职业道路的认识，重点关注弱势群体的包容性。该项目将以东北生物制造中心和协作机构的工作及其当前的生物生物加工开源课程模块为基础，根据细胞和基因治疗行业先进制造劳动力所需的技能和知识添加新的行业指导课程。培养熟练的劳动力是大费城地区成为先进治疗制造中心的关键，这可能会产生重大的积极经济影响。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划重点关注推动国家经济发展的先进技术领域的技术人员教育。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The number of Southeastern Pennsylvania companies that develop and manufacture gene therapies and cell therapies has increased. As a result, a regional need exists for highly skilled technicians in these fields, especially in the commercial manufacturing area. This project aims to address this need by increasing the number of graduates from local community colleges who enter this advanced therapy field. Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) is the lead institution in the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative. It has an extensive track record in developing and disseminating curriculum for biopharmaceutical bioprocessing technician education. In this project, MCCC will work with local industry partners to determine skills and competencies needed in the advanced therapy technical workforce, develop curriculum in cell and gene therapy manufacturing, and facilitate adoption of the curriculum at local two-year colleges. The new curriculum will provide students with a strong foundation in the skills and knowledge for developing, manufacturing, and testing these advanced therapies, as well as hands-on experience with industry-relevant bioprocessing equipment.The project will assess the competencies, skills, and curriculum needs of local biotechnology programs at two-year institutions, provide mentorship for enhancing or building new courses where needed, provide educators with professional development relevant to the new curriculum, and connect them to local industry. Students from communities that are underrepresented in the biomanufacturing sector, including students of color and/or first-generation college students, will have increased access to successful bioprocessing careers, as the project builds a pipeline from high school to community college to the advanced therapy workforce. Project aims include: (1) improving student education and training by developing and disseminating a local industry-endorsed advanced therapy curriculum; (2) promoting and facilitating adoption of new curriculum at local community colleges through mentorship, industry engagement, and professional development; and (3) increasing awareness of the biomedical/bioprocessing career path among high school students, with emphasis on inclusion of underrepresented populations. The project will build upon the work of the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative and its current open-source curriculum modules on biologic bioprocessing, adding new industry-guided curriculum based on required skills and knowledge for the advanced manufacturing workforce for the cell and gene therapy industry. Developing this skilled workforce is key for the Greater Philadelphia region to become an advanced therapy manufacturing hub, a possibility with significant positive economic impacts. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.