The focus of the course is aimed at guiding students to be able
to understand details of biotechnology literature, including web
resources.  Student performance will be assessed primarily by
written examinations (usually three during the course of the
semester).  These exams are usually take-home and allow students
to utilize multiple sources to gather information.  Questions 
are essay-type and we expect students to spend about 2 hours on 
each question, which generally number 4 to 5 per exam. Toward 
the end of the semester, the class is broken up randomly into 
around 12 teams. Briefly, each team can claim as proprietary 
intellectual property any published intellectual property or 
patent that appeared in the literature since 2004. Each team 
will present a document consisting of Executive Summary, very 
basic Business Plan, and Research and Development Plan.  The 
team will also give a 20 minute class presentation with visual 
aids to resemble an actual presentation to potential investors 
including scientists or a partner scientific company, and all 
members of the team must present to the class.  Students 
hearing the presentation will critique and score each 
presentation, along with the faculty organizers.  Faculty will 
provide assistance in choosing a topic and directing students 
to appropriate resources, including other University faculty.   
Learning outcomes include the ability to communicate 
effectively through speech and writing, critical thinking and 
computer literacy.  Student evaluations will be obtained at the 
end of the semester in accordance with university and 
department policy.

Introduction to Biotechnology					
			
Biotech stock watch assignment; Overview of Biotechnology 
companies	
	
Technologies of DNA Sequencing, Genomics, Proteomics		
		
Survey of organisms and expression systems for biotech 
applications	
	
Natural Product Discovery					
			
Bioforensics and genetic marker screening	

Metabolic engineering			 			
			 
Genetic engineering of plants					
		
Bioremediation; the story of Apgen				
	
Ethical issues in plant biotechnology				
			
Discovery/development of biologically active compounds		
		
Intellectual Property and Biotechnology				
		
Bt plants and the story of InsectiGen				
			
Biomedical Applications of Biotechnology			
	
Cloning and genetic engineering of animals; Intro to stem cells	
		 
New cancer therapeutics from biotechnology 			

Biomedical Applications of Biotechnology II:  Cancer
biotechnology			 

Stem Cell Biotechnology 			

Fighting global diseases using biotechnology			
		 
The story of Avigenics: Science and Business			
		
Starting a medical biotech company, Abeome			
		 
The story of Immune Control, Inc.	
	 
The story of Molecular Therapeutics, Inc.