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Archive for June, 2010

Laboratory Assistant Training Program, Edison, NJ

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Companies that have laboratory facilities have a new resource for hiring entry level lab assistants.

The JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute provides a training program for individuals with disabilities that have an interest in working in the Laboratory Industry. Students are prepared by a Lab Professional. The curriculum focuses on many aspects of laboratory work including:

  • Glassware
  • Lab Safety
  • Lab Equipment
  • Metric System & Conversions
  • Chemical Solutions
  • Clinical Lab Procedures
  • Water & Purification Techniques
  • Pharmaceutical Terminology
  • Lab computer Skills

Graduates are prepared in this 15 week intensive training program to embark on a new career path in the pharmaceutical, research, environmental, chemical and medical labs throughout New Jersey. The training program also includes tours in area labs, internships at companies, interview preparation and placement assistance.

The Lab Assistant Training program was started with a grant from the Henry H. Kessler Foundation, and operating funds are provided by the NJ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. The program also has a Business Advisory Board  that consists of many well know Pharmaceutical and Medical Lab companies.

Those companies interested in meeting the students prior to graduation may participate in Technical Review interviews held twice during each session. Your company may also host an intern for a week in your facility to allow them to demonstrate their skills in your processes to get to know them.

You may send your job leads via fax, email, or even snail mail to:

Bert Kormann, Supervisor, Lab Assistant Training Program
Phone: 732-836-1027   Fax: 732-836-0942

JFK Vocational Rehabilitation, 1608 Route 88, Suite 104, Brick, NJ  08724

JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute Laboratory Assistant Training Program Graduates Ready for Hire August 16, 2010

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

The JFK Laboratory Assistant Training Program is an intense 15 week program covering both academic and hands-on training in the use of frequently used laboratory instrumentation.  Students learn how to use the pH meter, scale, microscope, autoclave, manual pipettes, glassware, and centrifuge.  The course also covers how to calculate and make solutions (percent, molarity, and molality) using volumetric glassware.

Students learn the fundamentals of laboratory technology i.e. the importance of data integrity, calibration, specification/tolerances, controls, data analysis etc.  Topics covered during the 15 weeks include safety, metric system, chemistry, glassware and clinical laboratories.

Guest speakers are invited to present to the students any topics related to the laboratory profession. Speakers are invited to present in person or by video conference.  Our laboratory is equipped with state-of-the–art video conferencing equipment.  Please contact Charles Pollack, Instructor, JFK Laboratory Assistant Training Program at 732-248-1556.

The present class graduates from the program on August 16, 2010.  Please contact us if you have job opportunities or would be interested hosting students for an internship or class tour.

For information on the JFK Laboratory Assistant Training Program, please contact: Bert Kormann, Supervisor, Lab Assistant Training Program Phone: 732-836-1027   Fax: 732-836-0942 or Placement Counselor Tara Moses 732-321-7000 ext. 84895 or can provide resumes, and direct our graduates to you for consideration for job opportunities.

The JFK Lab Assistant Training Program

Raritan Valley Community College’s BioManufacturing Certificate Program Completers are Ready for Hire

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

After 24 weeks of training and anticipation, the first sixteen students to complete the BioManufacturing Certificate Program at Raritan Valley Community College are ready for employment.  These are not your typical students.  Job loss and a keen interest in scientific learning led them to apply for entry into the BioManufacturing Program.  Competition was stiff for the sixteen open positions.  Although having a background in science was not required, these adult students had to demonstrate through testing and personal interviews, they had the aptitude to meet the rigors of the 12-week academic training. Regulatory issues, elemental symbols, molarity, dilutions, pipettes, and cell biology became part of their nomenclature.

Having successfully completed their academic studies, the sixteen original students moved swiftly into on-the-job training with a large pharmaceutical manufacturer in Somerset County. By all accounts, the sixteen have acquitted themselves very well.  They are now ready to move into the job market.  If you are a business seeking an employee in biotherapeutics or pharmaceuticals labs or manufacturing, these students might fit the bill.

An additional sixteen new students are now half-way through the academic portion of their training.  Quite soon, they will be seeking 12-week on the job internships.  If you are interested in more information how to hire one of these students or would like to have a student serve their 12-week internship in your business, give Deborah Katz, the BioManufacturing Certificate Program Coordinator, a call at 908-525-1200, Ext. 8586 or e-mail her at

A Fitting Way to Tell an Exciting Story: The Bio-1 Final Report

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
return to bio1 buzz

For three years now WIRED Bio-1 has worked to enhance the bioscience cluster of central New Jersey. Through a grant from the United States Department of Labor Education and Training (USDOLETA)’s WIRED program, Bio-1 has been able to realize its six strategies, reach many people, and affect many lives. The story of Bio-1’s success is not one that can be spoken very easily, however. The difficulty arises from understanding that although Bio-1 may have one major goal, it did not have only one major path. This does not mean that the actions of Bio-1 are too complex for ordinary individuals to discuss, but rather each person’s connection to Bio-1 is different and personal. Many individuals affected by Bio-1’s actions will each have different reasons as to why Bio-1 has been able to aid them. Furthermore, different participants will have different reasons as to why Bio-1 was necessary. Only through these differences in experience is the story of Bio-1 fittingly told.

Bio-1 is only one of 39 WIRED regions to create a final report upon conclusion, but what separates Bio-1’s final report from the others, is the means of how it was all created. A very important Bio-1 goal was to keep students interested in the sciences. Through various programs and events, Bio-1 worked towards this goal. One of the means of achieving this was to directly reach out to high school students and offer them the chance to gain career experience within a bioscience related field. For the past two years Biotechnology High School, a Career Academy school in Monmouth County, has aided Bio-1 in this venture. Biotech High School requires its graduating class to complete a three week internship before graduation. Throughout the past two years, Bio-1 has acted as a host to four graduating seniors from the school each year, allowing the students to complete their internship at Bio-1. The Class of 2010, in particular, offered 4 great students to Bio-1 for their three week internship. These four students worked amongst a group of college students who were also completing an internship at Bio-1.

The report, which summarizes major funded programs, was placed in the hands of the student interns. This newly organized student team was given the responsibility to properly portray the outcome of Bio-1’s work and achievements. Even in its conclusion, Bio-1 was still working to mold the future generation. It was necessary for the report to be completed by students, as it would offer an unseen perspective on the organization of the data. Not only would the students gain the necessary group skills and work experience, but they would also obtain and present their findings much differently the expected. It would offer a refreshing breath to the Bio-1 report and as a result also allow the report to stand out.

The Biotech Students, Elaine Wong, Phillip Murray, Zachary Bregman and Eric Tweeten worked alongside Rutgers Undergraduates Jungki Kim, Anya Stoupine and Alvin Nyaboga. Elaine and Jungki worked on the initial template for the report while Anya, Alvin, Zach, Phillip and Eric worked on information retrieval and developed initial reports describing each Bio-1 project, achievement, outcome and focus. The students worked as a team, with appointed leader Zachary Bregman, towards creating a report that would not only completely serve its purpose but also impress the directors and Governance Board.

With the guidance of the Bio-1 staff, the Bio-1 Final Report became a reality and the work completed by the team was instantly noticed. One of the directions taken for the report that quickly separated it from other reports was the implementation of personal success stories. A majority of Bio-1’s highlighted programs were followed by personal stories from past participants. These participants were able to offer a different view of the benefits and successes of each program, as well as offer a realistic view of how Bio-1 has not only affected the bioscience industry but the lives of its workforce.

The completion of the report would last longer than the three week internship of the Biotech High School students. The Rutgers Undergrads, however, were more than ready to tackle the increased responsibilities. Anya Stoupine accepted the role as template designer onto her writing duties, and Alvin Nyaboga worked as the draft writer for any information going into the report, while Jungki Kim worked as a specialist for any technical problems related to the completion of the project.

At this point, the final phases of report development were underway. The necessary edits were made to not only ensure the report was professional but engaging. A report can hold as much information as deemed necessary but if it does not engage the reader then the message goes to waste. The Bio-1 report was formed in a way to offer as much attention grabbing visuals as mind stimulating texts. Through this, not only was the report able to offer the necessary information needed to showcase Bio-1’s achievements but it also offered a personal and relatable aspect.

The Bio-1 Final Report offers vast amounts of information regarding past projects and future capabilities. Through this report all readers will be able to witness the strides made for workforce development in the bioscience industry, if not in the information provided then in the sole creation of the report itself. This report is not the typical number crunching, hammer to the head document that most people have come to hate. Instead, this report is a personal, vivid and appealing tribute to the several projects and programs which have allowed Bio-1 to reinvigorate the bioscience sector of New Jersey.

SHIFT SBIR Grant from NIH Pushes Bio-1 to Action

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
return to bio1 buzz

The National Institute of Health has created a great opportunity for researchers and companies throughout the U.S. With the formation of the SHIFT SBIR Grant both academics and companies obtain the necessary capital to collaborate and move forward in product development. The grant focuses on pushing forward more research opportunities by giving companies more of an incentive to hire researchers with project proposals in areas where the company has interest. The company has the responsibility to apply for the grant while choosing the academic investigator who will act as the Principal Investigator (PI).

This grant is very beneficial to both researchers and companies. In addition to being able to begin work on their respective project, researchers also benefit from a sustained period of support in a new environment and the opportunity to be a PI on an SBIR grant. Companies benefit from the grant with the acquisition of research dollars, expertise, and potentially, collaborators and resources. Furthermore, researchers can begin their own individual companies and utilize the grant as well. The SHIFT SBIR Grant works to move forward industry plans while also granting researchers the opportunity to obtain funding and career placement. There is also the chance that hired PIs may retain their position in the company as their projects produce results.

Although this grant is a great opportunity for the bioscience industry in New Jersey, interactions between companies and researchers within the state are not at an efficient level. In order to resolve this networking problem Bio-1 is developing a searchable database of assets at the disposal of Academics and Biopharma proposed to serve as the core for a networking platform. The initiative is to build a networking platform and facilitate active participation of all stakeholders so that SHIFT grant opportunities and others alike could be best availed and further foster the growth of Biopharma industries within the state.

It is well known that New Jersey is a hot-spot for emerging technology and research in the Bio-science fields. Bio-1 is working to ensure that the state’s life sciences industry advances even further. This Research Assets Database sets out to highlight the research projects underway in New Jersey to solidify it as a leader in the bioscience industry sector. Bio-1 trusts that this database will set the foundation to create a network to encourage collaboration within our workforce cluster.

The creation of a database of a life science research assets database will benefit the New Jersey life science community as well as the state’s efforts to attract new businesses and jobs. For example, a company or university with a highly-specialized and expensive piece of scientific equipment can have their information posted in the database, so smaller start-ups can contact them and potentially work out sharing/leasing agreements. Facilitating this sort of information flow can make whole new companies viable or, at the least, would allow some researchers to conduct research that they otherwise would not have been able to. The same concept applies to research itself, lab space, other physical facilities, grants, positions, licensing opportunities, equipment, etc. This is how the SHIFT SBIR Grant becomes most readily attainable to researchers and companies willing to work pursue a similar goal.

Many biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies, higher education institutions, state, county and local government workforce development offices, federal grant agencies and venture capitalists currently have assets that they wish to commercialize. These assets will cement the collaborative and commercial nature of the database and create a lively life-science network in New Jersey. Once constructed, this database would provide centralized, easy and free access to these listings, allowing for one-stop shop opportunities that would be of mutual benefit to many interested parties.

For more information on the SHIFT SBIR Grant, visit these NIH and component organization web pages:

  • SHIFT Grant News Article
  • SHIFT Grant Overview
  • SHIFT Connector: Bringing Business Jobs to Academic Investigators
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