Innovative biomanufacturing training program honored at St. Louis Community College

Innovation is a vital part of St. Louis Community College’s mission. As part of its focus on innovation, STLCC participates in an annual competition created by the League for Innovation in the Community College. The process seeks to determine which individual or group has designed and implemented the most significant innovation.

For the 2022-2023 academic year, the STLCC Senate Innovation of the Year Committee reviewed three outstanding submissions. Based on the committee’s review, the biomanufacturing, research and technical training (BRaTT) program — which provides a detailed overview of the entire biomanufacturing process — was chosen as St. Louis Community College’s Innovation of the Year.

BRaTT originally was designed as professional development for people already in biomanufacturing roles with local companies. This interactive course is designed to prepare employees to work in production settings where biological products are being made. It was offered in a five-week, one meeting per week format that included a combination of lectures and hands-on activities, including extensive laboratory work.

Late in 2022, Thermo Fisher Scientific requested a more efficient delivery to onboard a number of new hires who could benefit from the training. The training was adjusted to target someone new to the field and incorporated necessary skills to help these new employees feel less overwhelmed in a production setting to which they may never have been exposed.

The training is offered exclusively to Thermo Fisher Scientific one time per month, but there are plans to open this up in a modular format to startups, small and medium-sized companies later this year.

While Workforce Solutions Group offers support for BRaTT, this training was developed and is delivered by the Center for Plant and Life Sciences. The CPLS is a satellite campus located within the Bio Research and Development Growth (BRDG) Park, an industry building within the 39 North Innovation District.

“St. Louis Community College is a true community partner,” said Elizabeth Boedeker, district director, Center for Plant and Life Sciences at STLCC. “This training is an example of how the CPLS and the college can work collaboratively with local industry to provide a customized solution that addresses a specific issue or deficit.”

STLCC employees involved in BRaTT are:

Thermo Fisher Scientific employees involved in BRaTT are:

The other innovations that were submitted were:

First Year Experience at STLCC: A Co-Curricular Program (districtwide entry by New Student Programs department, Victoria Cannon, Stephanie Church, Dedra Duncan, Sarah Kelly, Danielle Klobe and Mariah Palmer). First Year Experience is comprised of learning modules to help first-year students adapt to college at STLCC and gain valuable skills that will help them inside and outside the classroom. Each learning module has a seminar, event and peer mentor office hours to support the learning outcomes. The program is designed to help students get involved on campus, set goals, learn study skills and much more.

Remote Classroom Access Using SWIVL (Kelly Mueller, Myles Hinton, Sean Gold and Amy Bird). SWIVL is a small robot that uses an iPad and can swivel back and forth by following a marker worn by the professor. The access office has used SWIVL technology for various applications several years and extended its use to provide remote learning opportunities in specific cases.

Learn more at stlcc.edu/.

St. Louis Community College has served more than 1.3 million students. More than 50% of households in the St. Louis area are represented in our former and current student body. Since 1962, St. Louis Community College has held fast to the fundamental belief that education has the power to lift us up — as individuals, as communities and as a city.