Biotechnology is a 3-course pathway new in the 24-25 school year. Biotechnology is when we use natural biological processes and living things to solve a human problem or to make a useful product for
medicine, agriculture, food science, environmental, and other uses. Examples include creating and making animal vaccines and human medicines, using waste cooking oil to create bioplastics that can be easily composted in your backyard, and extracting proteins from human blood plasma so they can be used for developing new drugs. Bioscience and Pharmaceuticals are a targeted economic sector for
Athens-Clarke County and for the State of Georgia.  Students completing this pathway can earn the Biotility Biotechnician Assistant certification. 

* High school level pathway offered through Athens Community Career Academy.

* Available for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students in Clarke County School District.

Introduction to Biomanufacturing

This course is an introduction to the principles and practice of manufacturing products using living systems and components. Students will learn and apply engineering principles underlying advanced manufacturing techniques including automation, process control, robotics, and human-machine interfaces. Detailed descriptions of upstream and downstream aspects of various products will be examined. Special attention is given to safety and regulatory compliance within the biomanufacturing industry. Project management and organizational functions utilized in the biomanufacturing industry will be explored.. 

Essentials of Biomanufacturing

This is the second course in the career pathway that introduces students to the fundamentals of biomanufacturing. The knowledge and skills in this course provide a basic overview of current trends and careers in biomanufacturing, with an emphasis on basic biomanufacturing skills, along with the business, regulatory, and ethical aspects of biotechnology. Upon completion of the course, students will understand and apply skills required for employment in biomanufacturing, including safety, contamination prevention, automated processing, parameter management, regulatory compliance, and business acumen. The prerequisite for the course is Introduction to Biomanufacturing. 

Applications of Biomanufacturing

This course further introduces students to the fundamentals and essentials of biomanufacturing. Included in this course are additional applications and techniques in biomanufacturing that expand and increase the student’s comprehension of how biotechnology utilizes living systems to create products and enhance lives. In addition, laboratory applications learned in this course form the pivotal component distinguishing science theory from applications in bioscience, like that of engineering and mathematics. Scaled-down biomanufacturing processes will be carried out in a regulated environment with simulated Good Manufacturing Practices. Bioscience and the application of laboratory techniques to the manipulation of living systems are the cornerstones of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, forensic science, environmental science, agriculture, alternative fuel, and green chemistry. The prerequisites for this course for students in the Biomanufacturing Career Pathway are Introduction to Biomanufacturing and Essentials of Biomanufacturing.