In constructing the Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center (BETC), WPI has taken the next step in biomanufacturing training by bringing the manufacturing suite into the classroom. The new center represents an innovative partnership of academia and industry, with expansive hands-on and classroom training. The training, provided by and for professionals, covers a wide range of roles and disciplines, resulting in a workforce that’s productive from day one.

 The first of its kind in the Northeast, the BETC’s use of space and choice of equipment has been influenced by experts in the field in order to meet real-world needs. The facility will provide training for glassware preparation and sterilization. Students will learn to make sterile solutions and media for processing, as well as master a septic technique and thaw cell bank files. The center’s training will be delivered by working industry professionals.

With a 200-liter scale pilot plant, the BETC will be a fully functional biomanufacturing plant where students will get hands-on experience with bioreactors, centrifuges, depth filtration, chromatography, and ultra filtration. The small-scale lab has the same operations as the large-scale production lab, with analytical capability to provide training to perform protein analysis and process monitoring.

The 10,000-square-foot facility is under construction at WPI’s Gateway Park, and is expected to open this fall. See a video on the BETC that was shown at the BIO 2012 conference in Boston.