Biotechnology

Channeling scientific curiosity to fuel discovery and innovation

You’re a scientist at heart — curious about how everything works, right down to the smallest detail. Exploring topics like biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics, our Biotechnology program puts you at the heart of one of the newest and fastest-growing scientific fields.

Whatever your scientific passion, studying biotechnology can bring you to its doorstep — preparing you to create advancements that can change lives and improve the world around you.

You’ll work with faculty mentors to customize your biotechnology degree around your interests, allowing you to focus your learning in these diverse areas of study:

  • Biomaterials
  • Cancer biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Microscopy and Bioimaging
  • Genomics
  • Microbiology
  • Stem Cells
  • Biotechnology Teaching
  • Biotechnology Entrepreneurship
  • Pre-Professional Health (Dental, Medical, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physician Assistant, Physical/Occupational Therapy, Veterinary, etc.)

All students, in consultation with their advisor, develop a customized educational plan from a suite of upper-level courses to develop their skills and experience in areas of their interest.

Research is central to this program, empowering you to explore, question and invent, in the classroom and outside the classroom. Side-by-side with your classmates and professors, you’ll conduct experiments in our state-of-the-art labs: general biology, advanced biology, microbiology, general chemistry and organic chemistry, as well as the cell culture research lab, microbiology research lab, and molecular biology research lab.

You’ll also have the opportunity to apply your skills in the real world through experiential learning, including:

  • internships at Manchester Water Works, ARMI (Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute), and biotechnology firms on campus in our Biotechnology Innovation Center as well as in the nearby Millyard
  • robust job shadows at the Elliot Hospital Laboratory and other local medical facilities
  • research fellowships and placements on campus and off through UNH’s Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research and New Hampshire’s IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence program (funded by the National Institutes of Health)
  • summer research courses at Shoals Marine Laboratory
  • study away opportunities such as investigating biological diversity in Costa Rica or microbial ecology and geology in Iceland

Through in-depth and hands-on training in lab techniques, advanced microbiology, and cell biology, with faculty experts and great facilities, you’ll be prepared for success in graduate, medical or professional studies, and careers in industries from biotech to healthcare to education.

Biotechnology (BIOT)

BIOT 415 - Millyard Scholars Seminar

Credits: 2

Through in-class activities, workshops and guest speakers, students in the Millyard Scholars Program will explore career paths, and develop resources and skills for academic success. All student work, planning and experiences will be showcased in a digital portfolio.

Equivalent(s): BSCI 415

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 418 - Phage Bioinformatics Lab

Credits: 2

In the course, students undertake a hands-on undergraduate research experience to describe, document, and publish the discovery of new bacteriophages (bacterial viruses). In doing so, students will elucidate how the genome codes biological information. The aim of the course is for students to develop further research and computational analysis skills while preparing to publish their scientific discoveries. The course will focus on research data analysis and presentation of research data to scientists and the public.

Equivalent(s): BSCI 418

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT #422 - Biotechnology and Society

Credits: 4

Provides a basic understanding of genetic engineering. Techniques discussed include cloning, gene transfer, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in vitro fertilization, organ transplants, and paternity testing. Ethical issues involved with each technological advance are examined.

Attributes: Biological Science(Discovery)

Equivalent(s): BSCI 422

Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken BIOL #444A.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 501 - Ethical Issues in Biology

Credits: 4

This course is an introduction to the ethical issues associated with current and future use of biotechnology. Students will think critically about different ethical problems that emerge from scientific research and its applications to medical technology. The focus will be on personal and public policy decision making.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Prerequisite(s): (BIOL 413 with a minimum grade of C- and BIOL 414 with a minimum grade of C-) or (BIOL 411 with a minimum grade of C- and BIOL 412 with a minimum grade of C-).

Equivalent(s): BSCI 501

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 502 - Introduction to Biotechnology Manufacturing

Credits: 4

Introduction to the terminology and practices of the biotechnology industry, with an emphasis on the business, regulatory, legal, and basic scientific underpinnings of modern biotechnology in the commercial and government sectors.

Equivalent(s): BSCI 502

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 510 - Introduction to Biofabrication

Credits: 4

This project-based course introduces students to the techniques and challenges of biofabrication. Students learn how additive manufacturing is used to combine cells with a variety of biolinks to create living tissues such as skin, cartilage, vascularized bone, and blood vessels. During this process students learn how to design for and operate 3D printing and bioprinting equipment. An emphasis will be placed on the ways in which this emerging technology impacts our society.

Attributes: Environment,TechSociety(Disc)

Equivalent(s): BSCI 510

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT #515 - Second Year Millyard Scholars Seminar

Credits: 2

The Millyard Scholars Second Year Seminar will introduce students to a series of data analytics methods employed in biotech research and clinical settings in order to promote problem solving and critical thinking skills. Recent data generated from the biotech research and from clinical trials will form the basis of the data analyzed during the course. Guest speakers will help inform discussions about the importance of data analytics in biotechnology and in clinical settings.

Grade Mode: Credit/Fail Grading

BIOT 655 - Advanced Phage Biology

Credits: 4

Students undertake an advanced exploration of bacteriophage biology through wet-lab and/or bioinformatic investigation of previously-discovered bacterial viruses. In the setting of bacteriophage genome study, students develop working fluency with coding of genetic information, annotation of genomes, publication and presentation of discoveries, and design of experiments to assess questions in viral structure and function.

Prerequisite(s): BSCI 418 with a minimum grade of C- or BMS 503 with a minimum grade of C-.

Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 704 - New and Emerging Biotechnology

Credits: 4

In this course students investigate emerging technologies, innovations and new products in the biotechnology industry, through case studies and scientific literature. Modern biotechnology focuses mainly on medicine. New treatments for rare and complex diseases as well as genetic testing to identify genetically-inherited diseases are continually being developed and discovered. Technology that makes these and other advances possible is the focus of this course.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Prerequisite(s): GEN 604 with a minimum grade of C-.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT #747 - Industrial Microbiology and Fermentation

Credits: 0 or 5

Production of biologics and food by the biotechnology and agribusiness industries is the major focus of this course. Development of procedures for fermentation and bioprocessing, from proof of concept through scale-up stages will be emphasized, utilizing both theory and quantitative understanding as well as hands-on wet lab experience with modern bioprocessing equipment. Troubleshooting, safety, and QC considerations will be addressed.

Prerequisite(s): BMS 503 with a minimum grade of C- and BMS 504 with a minimum grade of C-.

Equivalent(s): BSCI 606, BSCI 747

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

Special Fee: Yes

BIOT 753 - Cell Culture Lecture

Credits: 3

Fundamental biological principles that underlie cell culture and its applications are the foundation of the lecture component of this course. Applications of cell culture techniques to current research areas in academic and biopharmaceutical settings will be discussed.

Co-requisite: BIOT 754

Prerequisite(s): BMS 503 with a minimum grade of C- and BMS 604 with a minimum grade of C-.

Equivalent(s): BENG 620, BMCB 753, BMS 620

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 754 - Cell Culture Lab

Credits: 2

Fundamental biological principles that underlie cell culture and its applications are the foundation of the lecture component of this course. Applications of cell culture techniques to current research areas in academic and biopharmaceutical settings will be discussed.

Co-requisite: BIOT 753

Prerequisite(s): BMS 503 with a minimum grade of C- and BMS 504 with a minimum grade of C-.

Equivalent(s): BENG 620, BMCB 753, BMS 620

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

Special Fee: Yes

BIOT 755 - Advanced Therapies

Credits: 4

In this course students will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of biomaterials, gene therapy, cell therapy, and tissue engineering. We will cover chemical, structural, and biological aspects of therapeutic materials along with systemic literature reviews involving advanced therapy medical products (ATMPs) utilizing molecules, genes, cells, and tissues. We will also discuss synthetic polymers and biomolecules such as peptides, proteins, polysaccharides and oligonucleotides. No credit for students who have taken BSCI 797 "SpcTop/Advanced Therapies".

Prerequisite(s): CHEM 404 with a minimum grade of C- and (BIOL 414 with a minimum grade of C- or BIOL 412 with a minimum grade of C-).

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 760 - Numerical & Statistical Analysis in Biotechnology

Credits: 0 or 4

In this course, students will gain an understanding of how best to conduct data analysis experiments utilizing data specific to biotechnology applications. Hands-on exercises involve using computer software programs such as Matlab and JMP. Data input/manipulation, descriptive and inferential statistics, hypothesis testing, curve fitting, and Matlab coding will be covered. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to conduct data analysis experiments within the context of biotech. No credit for students who have taken BSCI 797 "SpcTop/Num & Statistical Analysis".

Prerequisite(s): CHEM 403 with a minimum grade of C- and (BIOL 413 with a minimum grade of C- or BIOL 411 with a minimum grade of C-).

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT #765 - Nucleic Acid Techniques

Credits: 4

Laboratory course focused on application of molecular biology techniques for the extraction, detection, and use of nucleic acids. Emphasis is on recombinant DNA cloning and bioengineering techniques in biotechnology.

Prerequisite(s): GEN 604 with a minimum grade of C-.

Equivalent(s): BMCB 754, BMS 650, BSCI 765

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

Special Fee: Yes

BIOT 766 - Protein and Immunologic Techniques

Credits: 0 or 4

Laboratory course focused on application of molecular biology techniques for the isolation, quantitation, detection, analysis, and use of proteins. Substantial emphasis on the use of immunoassays and antibodies in protein work. Modern proteomics techniques are also discussed. Emphasis on recombinant protein expression in the field of biotechnology.

Prerequisite(s): GEN 604 with a minimum grade of C-.

Equivalent(s): BSCI 766

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

Special Fee: Yes

BIOT 770 - Stem Cell and Biomaterials Engineering Laboratory

Credits: 0 or 4

Introduction to stem cells and how biomaterials are utilized in their applications involving biotechnology and biomedical engineering. Lab topics such as aseptic technique, stem cell cultures, biomaterials engineering, bioprinting, biocompatibility and bioactivity analyses will be covered. Lectures will focus on the current literature while the lab portion involves inquiry-based projects that will investigate how biomaterials and molecules modulate stem cell proliferation and differentiation.

Prerequisite(s): CHEM 403 with a minimum grade of C- and (BIOL 414 with a minimum grade of C- or BIOL 412 with a minimum grade of C-).

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 772 - Pluripotent Stem Cell Laboratory

Credits: 0 or 4

Introduction to human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and how they are utilized in biomedical applications. Lab topics such as aseptic techniques, pluripotent stem cell cultures, stem cell differentiation, and cellular analyses will be covered. Lectures will focus on the current literature while the lab portion involves inquiry-based projects that will investigate how pluripotent stem cells proliferate and differentiate. Special focus will be given to induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) cultures.

Prerequisite(s): (BIOT 753 with a minimum grade of D- and BIOT 754 with a minimum grade of D-) or BIOT 770 with a minimum grade of D-.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

Special Fee: Yes

BIOT 775 - Biopharmaceutical Production Processes

Credits: 0 or 5

This course will provide students with an overview of biopharmaceutical production processes through lectures. The course begins by introducing students to the proteins and biotechnology companies and to cGMP. During lab, students will use mammalian cells to produce and monoclonal antibody, by developing manufacturing SOPs, including upstream and downstream processing, and quality control and assurance. Students will also gain experience with T-cell culture as part of the CAR-T technology utilized in personal medicine.

Prerequisite(s): CHEM 651 with a minimum grade of C- and CHEM 653 with a minimum grade of C-.

Mutual Exclusion: No credit for students who have taken ANSC 651, CHBE 651, CHE 651.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 777 - Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Credits: 0 or 5

The organization, expression, and control of RNA and protein-coding genes in prokaryotic an eukaryotic cells. The focus of the course is on mechanisms of genetics at the molecular level and the application of modern techniques to laboratory biotechnology projects.

Prerequisite(s): GEN 604 with a minimum grade of C-.

Equivalent(s): BSCI 777

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

Special Fee: Yes

BIOT 780 - Techniques in Microscopy and Image Analysis

Credits: 0 or 4

Laboratory course focused on application of microscopy techniques (light, fluorescent, confocal) and the subsequent analysis strategies for investigating biological specimens. Special focus will be directed towards cellular microscopy-based assays, both structural and functional. Image analysis topics will touch on filtering, segmentation, and registration.

Prerequisite(s): BMS 504 with a minimum grade of C-.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 788 - Advanced Studies

Credits: 1-2

Advanced scholarly work at the undergraduate level supervised by a graduate faculty member for students enrolled in Accelerated Masters programs. The particular area of study will vary according to the semester or the specific course offering with which this course is paired.

Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

BIOT 799 - Seminar in Biotechnology

Credits: 2

The seminar in biotechnology will run from time to time with different topics, including the following: 1) Cutting-edge issues facing the biotechnology industry. 2) Instrumentation and technologies utilized in the biotechnology industry.

Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 4 credits.

Grade Mode: Credit/Fail Grading

Biotechnology Faculty