As life sciences firms take off, Md. universities clamor to train

Developments in the life sciences have been making a lot of headlines in Maryland lately. There are the high-profile biotech research parks slated for Baltimore City - namely, the East Baltimore Life Sciences and Technology Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore research park.

Meanwhile, research and development continues at Rockville-based University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, at the Columbus Center in Baltimore and Rockville's Center of Advanced Research in Biotech.

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. added $50 million to expand the latter center's facility last year; there was a $1 million infusion for more wet lab space at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a $772,000 investment went for additional equipment at the Bioprocess Scale-up Facility at the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute at the University of Maryland, College Park.

With such activity in the biotech industry, it's been challenging to find and train an adequate number of workers, according to Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development Director of Biosciences Lawrence C. Mahan.

One common misconception about work-force development, he said, concerns the education level required of these employees. People might think [biotech] is an area that requires Ph.D.s, but that's not the case. Training is available, and in fact, jobs will be available to many people who do not have four-year degrees.

Edward M. Sybert, director of the Bioprocess Scale-up Facility at College Park, noted survey results that indicate the lack of a trained work force is impeding the growth of the biotech industry.

So, the university is responding. The news is that we've launched a new, nonprofit program aimed at work-force development for the [life-sciences] companies employing people who make products. We're not training researchers, but production people, he said.

Sybert says the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute, which was founded in 2002, offers customized training packages on the university's campus or at a biotech client's location, for a modest cost-recovery fee.

Like College Park, UMBC also offers customized programs on its campus or at company sites statewide. Anthony Moreira, vice provost for academic affairs, said a key discipline offered at UMBC is compliance with Food and Drug Administration regulations for biotech, for laboratory or manufacturing practices.

The Good Manufacturing Practices or Good Laboratory Practices are the unique courses we offer, but we also offer others on such topics as including regulatory issues and quality control, he said.

These courses are important because many workers, who may or may not have a college degree, will need this training. The disciplines call for very specialized knowledge in bioprocessing, so these courses are imperative to the biotech industry's bottom line. These kinds of programs not only train our own work force, but help attract new companies to our state, Moreira said.

For now, state officials seem to have an understanding that from small things, big things - namely a sturdier work force and new business - one day will come.

Looking to the future, Christopher C. Foster, associate deputy of technology strategy and business development at DBED, named one of his favorite companies Chesapeake PERL Inc., which manufactures proteins extracted from insects. The company has developed new methodology to grow more caterpillars to do so more efficiently. I think this will be a big business one day. I see it as a parallel to the Bethlehem Steel of the future, he said.

Mahan likes the traction the biotech training movement is gaining. We've seen a tremendous response from the universities. They're making a point to offer the appropriate course work and work together since the different campuses all have different specialties.

Copyright 2004 Dolan Media Newswires
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