Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Develop Advanced Laboratory Skills in Collaboration with Industry

生物技术是该国增长最快的行业之一。为了满足不断增长的生物技术劳动力需求，福赛斯技术社区学院的国家生物技术劳动力中心一直在支持在全国范围内对社区大学生物技术、生物加工和相关项目的技术人员进行教育和培训。生物技术行业越来越需要接受过高分辨率质谱学实践培训的工人。该项目旨在通过购置一台高分辨率质谱仪，扩大其对生物技术技术人员教育支持的广度和相关性。这种最先进的分析工具可以识别样本中的特定化学物质，即使样本中只含有万亿分之一克的这种化学物质。这些信息被用于从环境测试、食品和饮料生产到药物研发和制造的各种行业。该项目建议使用这种光谱仪对学生和教职员工进行最先进的高分辨率质谱学技术培训，从而使技术人员教育与新兴劳动力需求保持一致。该项目有两个目标。首先，它计划购买一台高分辨率质谱仪，并与行业合作伙伴合作，利用现实世界的生物科学项目为学生提供如何使用这项技术的基于技能的指导。其次，它计划提供研讨会，帮助高中STEM教育工作者增加对生物科学行业的了解，包括使用高分辨率质谱仪。这些研讨会旨在为教师提供他们所需的知识和技能，以指导学生进入社区大学技师教育项目，从而走向生物科学职业生涯。该学院将与北卡罗来纳州温斯顿-塞勒姆市中心创新区及其周围的教育工作者、雇主和企业家合作，利用高分辨率质谱仪开发工业相关项目的教学实验室。实验室将包括如何使用该仪器收集高分辨率质谱学数据以及如何解释这些数据的标准操作程序。这种以技能为基础的学习将服务于学院和高中STEM项目的教职员工和学生，以及当地其他大学的教师和学生。研讨会还将为来自全国各地的教育工作者提供服务，他们将根据自己对开发将当地行业与课堂联系起来的高级技能培训的兴趣和潜力而被选中。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Biotechnology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country. To meet the growing biotechnology workforce needs, the National Center for Biotechnology Workforce at Forsyth Technical Community College has been supporting nationwide education and training of technicians in biotechnology, bioprocessing, and related programs at community colleges. Biotechnology industries increasingly need workers with hands-on training in high-resolution mass spectrometry. This project aims to expand the breadth and relevance of its support for biotechnology technician education by acquiring a high-resolution mass spectrometer. This state-of-the-art analytical tool can identify specific chemicals in a sample, even when the sample contains only a trillionth of a gram of that chemical. Such information is used in industries ranging from environmental testing, and food and beverage production, to drug discovery and manufacturing. The project proposes to use this spectrometer to train students and faculty in state-of-the art high-resolution mass spectrometry technology, thus aligning technician education with emerging workforce needs.The project has two goals. First, it plans to acquire a high-resolution mass spectrometer and collaborate with industry partners to use real-world bioscience projects to provide students with skills-based instruction in how to use this technology. Second, it plans to provide workshops that will help high school STEM educators increase their understanding of the bioscience industry, including the use of high-resolution mass spectrometry. These workshops are intended to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to guide students into community college technician education programs that lead to bioscience careers. The College will partner with educators, employers, and entrepreneurs in and around Innovation Quarter in downtown Winston-Salem, NC, to develop instructional labs using high-resolution mass spectrometry on industry-related projects. Labs will include standard operating procedures on how to use the instrument to collect high-resolution mass spectrometry data, as well as how to interpret these data. This skills-based learning will serve faculty and students from the College and high school STEM programs, as well as those at other local universities. The workshops will also serve educators from across the nation who will be selected for their interest in and potential to develop advanced skills training that connects their local industry with the classroom. 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.